Neither Time nor Space
by Bryndel
Summary: Charity Evans was a normal girl growing up in L.A. until the night her father disappeared. Now, she's found herself in a different time and dimension as she tracks him down. Little does she know that enemies lurk around every new corner, and they'll stop at nothing to achieve their goals. Even if it means destroying everything she loves. On hiatus
1. In Which I Fall Through a Door

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Fullmetal Alchemist!**

**Author's Note: This is my first Fan Fiction work so I'm super nervous about posting. It's been an idea of mine for quite a while, and I finally decided to write it down! Depending on the reviews I get, I will post more chapters, but I am a college student so if I'm not seen for awhile its becuase I'm studying for tests and doing homework! Anyways, please enjoy!**

My name is Charity Leanne Evans, and I was born May 25, 1997. I am the daughter of Leah Evans, a high school teacher, and Jackson Evans, a well-known chemical engineer and physicist. I suppose every story starts somewhere, and mine is no different. For me, everything started two years ago, the night my father disappeared. I'll never forget that night, June 3, 2010. I was thirteen. The police came to our little house in downtown L.A. after our neighbors reported hearing screaming and a loud bang coming from our house. Mom was crying as they questioned her; she didn't know where the sound had come from either. She told them she had woken up to the sound and saw my dad wasn't in the room at the time. I was standing in the hallway in my nightdress as the police looked through our house trying to find my dad, but he was gone.

Things were pretty rough for us after that. Mom fell under suspicion for his disappearance, but, since nobody found any evidence, the police dropped the charges. People started calling our house dangerous, and our neighbors avoided us. At first, a lot of the children at school started to tease me. They would tell me my mom made my dad disappear and the police would catch her eventually. I would always tell them they were lying until one of them got mad at my denial and threw a rock at me. I wasn't a brown belt in karate without reason, and the rest of the school would just avoid me after I knocked him out. I thought he deserved it until I got home and saw the expression on mom's face. She was crying as she told me I could do so much better than that. After that, I decided to work harder in school to live up to my dad's name. I guess that was my way of trying to remember him. It turned out that I inherited my dad's brilliance, chemistry and physics came easy to me and I loved them. It's no surprise that I would also inherit my dad's fate…

…

"Charity! I need you to take this box of canned pears to the basement. I'm unloading groceries and need to take care of the frozen food!" I hear mom yell from downstairs.

I sigh and close the book I had been reading. "I'll be right there!" I call back as I walk down the hallway. I enter the familiar kitchen where mom is running back and forth trying to find room in the freezer for everything, her disheveled hair falling out of its normally tight ponytail.

"The box is on the counter. Thank you for your help!" she says as I lift the heavy weight off the counter.

"No problem. I'll put this next to the green beans in the storage pantry." I say as I open the door to the basement and head down the stairs.

I hate going in the basement. My dad spent a lot of time down there doing his experiments so lots of science equipment fills the shelves. Mom and I never had the heart to clean it out. I don't bother to turn on the light as I pick my way through the mess towards the food pantry and set the pears down. "Phew, that box was heavy!" I sigh. I'm about to head back to the stairs when I trip over something and fall over. There's a loud crash as lots of things fall off the shelves onto the floor, and something hits my head. "Ouch! Guess that's what I get for leaving the light off!" I rub my head as I shakily get to my feet using the wall as a support. I'm almost up when, all of a sudden, the wall sinks under my hand and I hear a scraping sound as a portion of the wall next to me swings open like a door. I stand there stunned for a moment gapping at this new door when I hear mom's voice calling down the stairs.

"Charity, are you alright? I heard a crash."

"I'm fine mom!" I hear myself say. "I just forgot to turn the light on and knocked over some stuff. I'll be right up!" Heart beating fast, I push the wall back into place and decide to check it out later tonight. I don't want to tell mom about it just yet. Not until after I've looked at it.

The rest of the evening passes quickly. Mom and I both talk about our day while we eat dinner sitting on the couch. Afterwards, I do the dishes while mom puts the food away, and then I kiss her goodnight before I head up to my room to finish my homework. I hear her talking on the phone with another teacher from the school she works at for about half an hour before she climbs the stairs and goes into her room. I wait patiently as I hear the shower turn on. Glancing over at the clock it reads 10:15 p.m. when I hear the shower turn off.

I let an hour pass before I open my door and look down the hallway towards mom's room. All the lights are off under her door so I grab the flashlight from my desk, slip out of my room, and head down the stairs. I open up the door to the basement and wince as it creaks; then, I turn on my flashlight and begin the descent. My hearts is racing as I reach the bottom of the stairs and look at the "wall." I quickly cross the room and begin examining around the spot where I felt my hand sink. Everything looks the same so I start to randomly push at sections of the wall hoping something will happen. I feel my hand sink again and watch as what appears to be a hidden switch takes shape as it sinks into the wall. I hear the same scraping as earlier, and watch as the wall swings open once again, then, I'm left in silence.

I sit against the wall for a minute and try to calm my nerves. I can hear my heart in my ears and my breathing is ragged. _Why am I so scared? Am I afraid of what I'm going to find?_ I think as I stand up and walk up to the hole in the wall. What appears to be a study room waits for me on the other side of the wall. I step into the room and leave footprints on the dusty floor. The wall-door behind me has a latch and handle so I pull it closed and cough as dust flies into the air. I shine my flashlight around the room. There is a desk up against the far wall with papers covering its surface. The shelves in the room are filled with all sorts of gadgets and bottles. A chalkboard to my right is filled with numbers and equations. The room doesn't look much different from the one I just left. _Did dad have a secret study room down here? Why?_

Curious, I walk over to the desk and look at the papers filled with complex equations. There's a journal sitting on top of a relatively large stack of papers so I pick it up and open it. My breath catches as I recognize my dad's handwriting. I thumb through the journal until I come to the last entry:

_**June 3, 2010**_

_**Today, all the results of my work should finally come to fruition. I've been studying the existence of other dimensions for so long, and now I'm at the finish line! I've discovered what I like to call a circular pattern to space through my calculations and now all that's left is to apply this. I've drawn the circle out and lined it with copper wire to conduct the electricity. The mercury sample in the center should react. It's been several years of experimentation and hard work to get this far. If this goes well I can only imagine what it will do to the science community! My goal is right in front of me.**_

I read his words over twice before I close my eyes and set the book down. _Is this was dad was doing down here? _I open my eyes and glance at the floor where I see a large circle drawn underneath the layer of dust. A thin wire traces along the circle and joins in the center. It reminds me of a pentagram only it's not quite the same. I shiver and bend down to examine it dusting off the floor as I go. When I get to the center, I see a small copper dish where I assume the mercury would go.

The scientist in me is squealing in delight as I piece together how the whole thing works. Despite how simple he made it sound in his notes, the whole thing is rather confusing. The angles of the lines in the pattern of the circle all seem to have their own equation, and symbols surround the pattern. Nothing is in English when it comes to symbols, although I do recognize some Greek letters. I glance up at the chalk board and examine the math equations scribbled everywhere. Most of them are hastily scrawled and hardly legible and seem haphazardly written everywhere with no logical order of steps. I sigh and stand up to look at the circle from a higher view. That's when I realize with a jolt that the equations scribbled on the board follow the pattern the circle runs in. I begin to match up the equations from the board with the circle until I reach the center and find only a single line associated with it: 80-g14. _Great, there are no equations for the center. Just numbers. What does it mean?_

I glance back at the desk where the journal sits and remember my dad's words about the mercury in the center. I look up at the periodic table above his desk and grin. "80 is mercury's atomic number, but what does g14 mean?" I walk over to his desk and begin looking through dad's papers hoping to find a clue. I see a paper where g32 is written and begin to look it over. I glance down at my watch and it reads 1:23. _It's getting late. Good thing school's out…_ I think absently as I'm scanning the page. I groan as I realize that g32 means 32 grams. _Dad labels stuff backwards! Really! That made this whole thing more difficult that it had to be! _I scowl at the circle. "So 80 is mercury's atomic number and g14 means 14 grams. That's simple enough."

I walk over to a shelf lined with bottles until I find mercury and then I set a beaker on a scale and weigh out 14 grams. I take the mercury to the center of the circle and pour it in the copper bowl. "Why am I doing this?" I wonder out loud as I step back and inspect my work. "I'm just too curious for my own good, but I really want to know what my dad was doing down here." I turn and look at the lever connected to the copper wires sitting on the floor next to the desk. I've already figured out that it turns on the electricity to activate the circle. I walk up to it and start to reach for the switch. I hesitate with my hands just above the lever. _Do I really want to do this?_ I feel a brief shiver of fear run down my spine before I find my resolve. I grab the switch and pull the lever before I can second guess myself.

I hear the electricity run through the circle and see the blue sparks that jump off the wires. The mercury in the center is glowing bright white. I watch in awe as it seemed to float in the bowl and form a black center that slowly expanded. Then, suddenly the mercury falls into the bowl and there is a bright flash of red light. The sparks coming off the wires are red now and I watch in horror as a giant eye opens in the center of the circle. "What is this!" I exclaim as black, hand-like tentacles reach out for me. I scream in pain as they grab me. It feels like I'm disintegrating! I look at my hand as it seems to break apart right in front of me! "What the hell!" I scream and I close my eyes in terror. _This has to be some sick dream! _I think.

Suddenly everything is quiet and I'm not in pain anymore. I open my eyes and find myself in a large white space. I spin around and see only more white space without any doors or windows. It's completely empty. I immediately start to panic. _Oh my… I just DIED! I KNOW I just died! I'm dead! This must be heaven or something like that! Shoot! I didn't believe in religion so does that mean this is hell?_

"It looks like another one without a door managed to fall in. Hello." I hear a voice behind me say.

I jump and spin around to face a strange person sitting before me. It looks completely white and the only reason I can see it is because there's a faint black outline surrounding it. _Is it an angel? No, I'm in hell so it's got to be a devil, right?_ "Who are you?" I ask.

"Oh, I'm glad you asked that. I am what you call the world. Or perhaps the universe, or perhaps God, or perhaps truth, of perhaps all, or perhaps one, and I am also you."

I look at it confused. "What?" I ask.

It looks at me and smiles. "Normally I answer your questions by opening your door, but you don't have one. Just like the last man that fell through. Since you haven't broken the rules of alchemy I suppose I wouldn't even do that."

_Alchemy? _Then I realize she was talking about someone before me. I ask, "There was someone here before me! What did he look like?"

The white woman (I decided it was a woman since she said she was me, whatever that means) smiles and says, "I sent him beyond."

"Does that mean he's dead too?" I can hear the sob in my voice. This is going to kill mom.

"What makes you think you're dead? You still live if you're here. No, I sent him beyond my domain to answer his questions, although that has caused me a lot of trouble." She smiles at me. "Perhaps you will find him if I send you beyond as well, although I can promise you, you won't like what you'll find. I suppose I can ask for your help in return for sending you after him. People from your home don't have gates, but do have a strong connection to this place. I suppose you yourselves are a gate in a way, and you can influence the gates of others. That's a dangerous existence, but it can't be helped. Will you be my 'Charity'?" The woman laughs like she just made some clever joke.

"I don't' understand what you mean! Where's my dad! If he's not dead then let us both go home!"

"Of course you wouldn't understand" she chuckles. "I can't send your father back right now, but if you retrieve him and manage to get back here, then I can send the two of you home. Going after him could solve the problems he's caused if we're lucky. I'll give you this to help you do that since you'll be doing me a favor." She extends her arm and a weird shadow snakes across the floor and attaches itself to me. "Equivalent exchange, right? You fix the problems your father caused, and I'll give you the tools to do that. Afterwards I'll send you home. So what do you say? Will you be my 'Charity'?" She laughs again at her own personal joke.

I grit my teeth in irritation. "Alright! I'll do it" I sigh. _It's not like I have any other choice._

Her grin splits even wider "Why don't we shake hands on it then?" She extends her had towards me. I step forward warily. _I'll save dad. Mom, don't worry. We'll both be back soon. _I bend over and firmly grasp her hand. An explosion of noise rings in my ears and I pass out surrounded by darkness

…

Edward Elric sat at the table sipping a cup of coffee and looking over his notes. It was late and the kids were in bed while Winry was tinkering in her shop with some automail. Just then the phone rang.

"I'll get it!" Winry called as she ran to pick up the phone. "Hey Ed, it's for you! Sounds like Mustang!"

"Dammit! I told him not to call this late! He probably wants to brag about his daughter. He's as bad as Hughes was!" Despite saying that, Ed was smiling as he picked up the phone. "Hello?" He walked into the next room as he listened to the phone.

Winry sighed and returned to her project. She was only vaguely listening to Edward's half of the conversation until she heard him exclaim, "What!" She heard hurried footsteps and the sound of the T.V being switched on. **…military have moved in and surrounded the area. **It sounded like the news.

"Ed? What's going on?" She set down her project and walked into the sitting room where Ed was staring at the T.V. She glanced over and gasped. A large crater sat in the middle of Central Command Center giving of sparks of electricity. "What on earth happened!"

Edward wasn't listening to her as he focused on the voice over the phone. "A girl! You found a girl in the middle of the crater!"... "Well obviously alchemy is involved! And, you say it's similar to the disturbance in Eastern Command two years ago?"… "I'll be on the next train in. So will Al." Edward hung up the phone and looked at Winry. "Mustang needs the two of us down in Central. I'm going to head over to Al and Mae's and tell them what's going on, although they probably already know. That alkahestry is pretty amazing at telling when stuff like this happens."

"I'll get the kids ready, we're going with you."

"There's no need for you come. Al and I will be fine."

"I know that! But, since its summer, the kids don't have any school so it's really not a big deal. I wouldn't mind visiting Riza anyway. It's been awhile."

Edward sighed and stretched one arm behind his back. "Alright, we'll all go, I'll see you in a few minutes." With that he stepped out of the house and into the warm mid-June breeze. _What the hell is going on?_ He thought as he walked down the quiet Resembool lane towards the well-lit house down the street.


	2. In Which I Wake Up in the 1930s

**Hi! I'm sorry! I wanted to update sooner, but I was so busy these past two weeks -_- I had both a Chemistry test and a Molecular Biology test to study for and I didn't have a lot of time to do much else. I'm also prone to getting easily distracted so whenever I sat down to work on this I ended up doing a lot of research online on FMA wiki to make this as in character as I could. I'll be honest and say I also just did random stuff on youtube too. I hope everyone is in character, but tell me if you think anything could be improved! Also, please review! I really like to know what my readers think and reviews tell me whether people like it or not. I also thought I should say that this story follows up on the Brotherhood storyline, not the 2003 anime, although I really liked the idea of the alternate dimension idea from that so I'm using it! Only it's not quite the same :p . I hope to hear from you and I'll do my best to update soon! Without further ado…. my story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own FMA! Only the OCs are mine!**

I hear muffled voices and a faint beeping sound. I wake up. My body feels sore everywhere and I take a deep breath to steady myself, wincing as I feel my ribs groaning with the effort. Slowly, I open my eyes and squint because of the bright light overhead. After my eyes adjust, I look around my room. Well, not my room, a hospital room. The bare walls are painted white and a small table in the corner supports and antique radio. _How gloomy _I think. The only window in the room is to my left, but it is covered by some green curtains so I can't tell what time it is. To my right, I find the source of the beeping noise; I figure it's a heart monitor, but I've never seen one that looks like this. Behind that, I see the door with the silhouette of a person standing outside of it. _This doesn't look like a normal hospital… I thought normally you're in a room with one other person. At least that's what it was like when grandpa was in the hospital. Why am I in a private room? Why isn't mom in here with me? There's no way she'd let the doctors keep her out…_ I grin sheepishly and glance back at the door._ And who's the creeper standing outside my door?_

Sighing, I try to remember how I got here. _Well, I found a secret room in my basement where dad had some project. I set it up and turned it on and then… I must have been electrocuted or something and had to be taken to the hospital. I sure had a crazy dream though… _I glance at the clock next to the door. "I hate hand clocks, digital ones are so much easier to read…" I moan quietly. _4:45… so is that am or pm? Whoever invented the hand clock should have seriously figured out some way to make it say am or pm. _

While I'm silently complaining about the clock, I hear footsteps outside the room. They steadily get louder so I figure they must being coming down a hallway towards my room. I see a second silhouette appear next to the first and hear a brief, muffled conversation before the first silhouette salutes and begins to walk away. The second silhouette then takes up the same position as the first in front of my door. _Okay… so my room has two creepers now. Wonderful. But seriously, why are there people standing outside my door? _I frown and try to sit up, gasping in pain at the sudden burning sensation that runs down my whole body. I fall back onto the pillow vowing to not try that again.

I lay in the hospital bed for what seems like hours just staring at the ceiling. I didn't realize I had fallen asleep until I hear footsteps coming down the hallway again. I open my eyes and stare at my door. _Please don't let this be just another creeper. _My breath catches as a new shadow shows up on the other side of the door. I hear a hurried conversation before I see creeper two salute and step aside to allow the new person access to my door. The doorknob starts to turn.

When the door opens I can't help but stare. A woman walks in and a door floating in the air above her follows. I close my eyes and take a second look. It's locked up with a chain and padlock, but it's defiantly there. She's obviously a nurse, but her uniform looks like one of those old style ones from black and white movies. It's a white dress and apron that go down to her knees with a white hat thing to top the outfit off. _Is this a dress-up day or something? _I think.

She smiles at me reassuring and walks over to the monitor. "Zah. Val un dea proschimik?" she says.

I gap at her. "Wha…What?" I say.

She glances at me thoughtfully and says, "Val un dea proschimik?"

"I…. I don't understand." I can hear a note of hysteria in my voice. _Why can't I understand her? This is the United States right? Everyone here speaks English except for people who speak Spanish, and even they usually know some English! That wasn't Spanish and it _definitely _wasn't English._

She frowns and writes something down on her clipboard before glancing at my monitor. She turns a few knobs before she stands up and heads back towards the door. "Et zai du awisn." she says before opening the door and walking out.

_Okay. The uniform thing I was handling. I could take the freaky door too, but this! _I start panicking even more as I remember my psychology teacher telling me that some people who suffer brain damage in accidents lose their ability to understand speech. Sometimes their vision gets messed up too. That could explain the floating door and language issues. _I'm going insane! No wonder there's a guard at the door. This is probably some ward for people with brain damage. Or… or...! _I stare at the ceiling and do something I haven't done since my dad disappeared. I start to cry.

I just lie there for a long time crying and trying to order my thoughts. I remember the nurse came back in and set a glass of water on the small table next to my bed, but I ignore her. As much as I want to deny it, I know I'm just lying to myself. I can recall every detail of that "dream" I had. Dad's notes on different dimensions, the experiment, the eye and black hands swallowing me, the white space, the grinning person on the other side. Everything. As much as I hate to admit it, I know those things really happened. There is no other explanation for my current position. _Note too self: When I find dad, I'm gonna kill him! _

"_Well that's not why you came here. Aren't you trying to rescue him?"_ a voice echoes through the room.

I frown as I recognize it. "So you're talking to me now from this side? How often will these chats be because I'm not happy with you either." I hear a chuckle and I'm not at all surprised when I see a giant eye open on the ceiling and look at me. "It's rude to stare." I say.

"_Well aren't you snappy."_ The voice says, and I can practically hear the grin I know the Truth is making. _"I won't speak to you very often since this is your journey"_

"Then why are you here now! Are you going to help me find my dad?" I say sarcastically.

"_Again, no. I prefer people come up with their own answers."_

"It would be easier to find my dad if I could understand the people over here. Isn't finding him doing you a favor too? Did you not consider the language issue when you dragged me here?"

"_I'm glad you asked that! Oh I considered it. It will take a while, but you will gradually understand them. You'd be wasting both of our time otherwise. It would have been easier if you had a gate I could have just opened, but, since you don't, we'll have to make due. Of course that will be the same when you return home. You'll have to adjust to English again."_

"I'm starting to think you like messing with people just for the hell of it."

I hear a chuckle in response. "_I only came to explain the language problems to you. Now that that's settled, I'll be keeping an eye on you where you can't see. Let's work together to fix the problems your dad has caused."_ I watch as the eye closes and disappears leaving me in silence.

"Yeah, work together she says. It seems to me that I'm doing all the work!" I mutter to myself. "If all you're gonna do is watch, don't complain about how I do things over here. Got it?" I glare at the ceiling as I say this, and then start to come up with a plan. I know I can't stay here in this hospital, but how am I going to get past the creeper outside? Of course it still hurts to move so I'll have to bide my time…

Loud footsteps coming down the hallway break me out of my thoughts. I glance at the door again. _Is it time for another creeper to fill in? _I wonder. As the footsteps get closer, I can hear a conversation between two people, a man and a woman from the sounds of it. I see the shadow of my guard stiffen and salute before the other shadows even show up on my door.

"Fuhrer! Zen hamaine gro ashmil dea."

"Al dea quef."

_Not a new guard, a superior to this guy… great visitors. And I still have no idea what they're saying except for maybe the word Fuhrer._ I sigh. I think I've heard the word Fuhrer before in a history class. Hitler was one if I remember. I silently pray this guy doesn't have a strange mustache, and doesn't hate inter-dimensional travelers. I hear the doorknob start to twist and I wait patiently for whoever's coming in. My first view of the man opening the door fills me with relief. _Thank the heavens he doesn't have a freaky mustache!_

He looks like a rather stoic if unimposing man. He has dark hair and dark eyes with a little bit of gray on the edges. He's wearing a military uniform with a ton of decorations, and he has a pair of white gloves on decorated with a circle of all things. Following him into the room is a blonde woman with brown eyes. She is also wearing a military uniform. A secretary? No, they seem closer than that just by how they stand next to each other. Just like with the nurse, they both have doors floating above them. The woman's door looks exactly like the nurses except for the design, buy for the man it looks different. It's wide open and an eye is staring out from the darkness. _He's seen the Truth... _The thought just pops into my head, but, somehow, I know its true.

"Te go dea cazt understand te bur, welzim af Amestris mal. Tem Roy Mustang." He points to himself, and then he points to the woman saying, "Tet san Riza Hawkeye. Dea gem ze qit ul scare lam knid ven dea apashar un ul crater." He says this very slowly, and I feel my cheeks flush in irritation and embarrassment. It's kind of them to speak slowly, but it definitely stings my pride.

They are both looking at me expectantly, and it occurs to me that since they both supplied their names, they were waiting for mine. I take a deep breath and say, "My name is Charity Evans."

The woman, Riza, says, "Charity Evans? Tan san ul nice zoman." She smiles at me and I feel relieved to know that these people are friendly.

"Hia need gro go het dea got hamal." Mustang says as he hands me a notepad and a pen.

I stare at him blankly and then look at Riza who is making gestures in the air. First she points to me, and then she spreads her arms wide to show everything in the room. Finally, she shrugs her shoulders like she's confused. The whole thing looks rather ridiculous to be honest, and I can't help but smile. I think I get the idea, although I've always been bad at charades. They want to know how I got here. That question would make sense. I feel hesitant to do anything. They probably won't believe me if I tell them, but, then again, this man has seen the Truth so maybe… _I've always hated Pictionary too._ Without waiting for further permission, I begin to draw.

I start by drawing a really poor sketch of North America on a circle to represent Earth. Then I point to myself and circle an area on the map roughly where Los Angeles would be. To add emphasis, I draw a little house inside the circle. The two of them nod and watch me intently for more. Flipping to the next page, I draw a rough sketch of the circle I saw on my basement floor, complete with symbols and equations. I'm not sure why I'm showing them this part since I don't even really understand it, but I just somehow know that I need to. It's a really weird feeling.

I continue by drawing a giant eye over the circle with sharp lines I'm hoping look like lightning. I flip the paper once more and draw the Truth smiling at a stick figure that I hope resembles me. I hear a sharp intake of breath from Riza and Mustang frowns. Ignoring them, I continue my lame picture. The Truth and I shake hands and then I draw an arrow that leads to me in the bed I am currently in.

I look up to see what impact my drawing skills have had on them. They both have hard eyes and I feel worried I may have just convinced them I'm insane. Mustang reaches for the paper and I obligingly hand it over.

"Roy, what zon tet mean?" Riza says.

Mustang frowns and shakes his head. "Te cazt go Riza. Fullmetal zal be hamal tonight veth Al. They go mah azbon foreign alchemy dam te." He looks at me. "Gremar dea" he says while giving his head a brief nod which I take as thanks. He stands up and turns for the door. "Riza, porzay stay hamal and eos if dea can ge more zay mal Charity. Deaem mah training al language izprecion dam te."

Riza nods in response to whatever he said "Te will eos dea vehn Ed and Al gar hamal later, Roy." she says.

Mustang nods and starts to leave. Before I can stop myself, I reach out and say "Wait!"

He stops and turns to face me. I point to my sketch pad which is still in his hand and say, "You've seen it too, haven't you? The Truth? What do you know about all of this? I can't stand not understanding what's going on! Please!" I 'm breathing hard and I can fill tears stinging my eyes. They are both looking at me with wide, surprised eyes, and I look down to hide my face. _Why do I even bother? They can't understand me as much as I can't understand them _I think to myself.

He surprises me with what he does next. He flips to my picture of the Truth and nods as he points to it and then his eyes "Te seen et Truth. Hia will taz more later." He looks tired as he says this, like it reminds him of unpleasant things. Then he turns and leaves the room, bringing his floating open door with him.

* * *

><p>Roy Mustang walked down the hall at a brisk pace, nodding to the military personnel that saluted him as he walked past, but not really paying attention since he was deep in his own thoughts. <em>It's incredible how fast she seems to be picking up the language. The nurse said she was completely incomprehensible, but I could figure out what she was saying towards the end. How did she know I've seen the Truth? There's no doubt that she did.<em>

He pictured the scene in his mind. The blonde girl was reaching for him and her light green eyes were frantic. "_Ta'be seen le too, haven't ta? The Truth? Qea do ta savr about tovo di et? Ye can't stand ne knowing qeas era on! Please!" _she had said. He climbed into the car that was waiting for him outside of the military hospital while reporters tried to push each other to get to the front of the railing that was keeping them back.  
>"Fuhrer Mustang! What do you have to say about the crater at Central Command? Is it true there was a person found inside of it and...?" The car door closed and the rest of what the reported had to say was too muffled to hear.<p>

"Are we heading to the train station to pick up the Elric brothers and their families, Sir?" The chaffer, Devon, asked.

Mustang smirked and replied, "Fullmetal would hate the attention it would bring if we picked him up, so yes. They'll get to the hospital quicker if we get them anyway so it's easier."

"Very well." Devon smiled into the rear view mirror.

As the car pulled away from the hospital and started to head for the train station, Mustang watched the city go by. It had been two years since Grumman had died and he'd been promoted to Fuhrer and a lot had happened during that time. First had been the alchemical explosion in Eastern Command that had caused riots in the town closest to the disaster. Fuhrer King Bradley's son, Selim, had gone missing around the same time. During all this, Mustang had worked overtime to rewrite the Constitution of Amestris with his advisors and change the country from a stratocracy to a democracy. That had been a year ago now. A Parliament had been created with elected representatives from each section of the country, and the title of Fuhrer became an elected position. He'd been ecstatic when the people had voted him back in to office after forming the new government. Of course, he'd have to run again in five years, but he wasn't worried. After the homunculus crisis twenty years ago, he never wanted the government so easily able to be influenced by one being ever again.

"We're here sir. Their train should be arriving anytime now." Devon said, bringing Mustang out of his thoughts.

"Excellent."

* * *

><p>"Brother! We're pulling into the train station now." Al said as he leaned towards the window.<p>

"Wha…!" Ed said as he sat up in his seat. He'd been dozing for the past hour and hadn't noticed the train starting to slow down.

"Honestly Ed, you shouldn't have stayed up so late watching the news! Mustang will tell us what's going on once we see him." Winry said as Mae started laughing.

"Hey! I wanted to know what was going on without having to rely on that bastard! I can just picture him mocking me as he explains everything." Edward replied. "He'd say, 'If you want to really know what's happening, you should come back and rejoin the military.' I'm retired from that dammit! I haven't been a State Alchemist in twenty years!"

"Come on Dad! We all know you aren't really retired! You research alchemy theory from other countries all the time!" Joshua Elric laughed as he leaned over the seat separating his compartment from the adults. His sister, Sara, who was also leaning over the seat, nodded in agreement.

"Hey, I can see some military guys waiting for us on the platform!" Yue, Al and Mae's daughter, said, changing the subject.

"WHAT!" Ed stood up in his seat and looked out the window. Sure enough, two guys in military uniforms were standing on the platform holding a sign that said _Elric Party_. "Military escort! Why the hell is he sending a military escort! I told him we'd meet up at the hospital! This is too much!"

"Calm down Ed! If you're going to be spazzing out, at least don't do it in public!" Winry scolded. Al and Mae just grinned sheepishly as Edward and Winry drew the gazes of some of the trains passengers.

"We are now arriving at Amestis Grand Central Station. Please exit in an orderly manner and be sure to collect all of your belongings before stepping onto the platform" a voice announced over the intercom. Everyone stood and started to gather their things just as the voice had instructed.

When they had all gotten off the train, Ed and Al stepped up to the military men and shook hands.

"Thanks for being here to welcome us!" Al said brightly.

Edward sighed, "Yeah thanks we really appreciate it…"

"Welcome to Central Elrics. It's a pleasure to meet the both of you." said the taller of the two men. "If you'll follow us, we'll take you to where the Fuhrer is waiting. Mrs. Elric, we'll help carry that luggage." The two men stepped back to pick up some of the luggage that had been palced on the ground leaving Edward and Alphonse standing next to each other.

"If he wasn't Fuhrer and it wasn't a crime, I'd pop him one as soon as we see him! That bastard ENJOYS making my life hell." Edward said as he clenched his hand into a fist and raised it to his face where his eye was twitching.

"Now Brother, he just wants to make sure we get to the hospital safely. It's his way of showing he cares." Alphonse said as he grinned. They both grabbed a suitcase in either hand and followed the men and the rest of their family out of the station.

When they stepped outside, the men walked up to a long car pulled up to the curb of the station. The driver stepped out of the car and opened a door so that Winry, Mae, Yue, and Sara could climb into the car. Then, he walked around to the back and opened the trunk to allow the luggage to be loaded.

"Why hello Edward. Alphonse. It's been a few years since we've seen you in Central. And Joshua! You've grown since I last saw you. You're, what, sixteen now?" The driver said as he started to help put the luggage into the trunk.

"Hi Devon! It has been awhile." Al said politely.

"It's good to see you again Devon." Edward said as he shook the man's hand briefly.

"Yeah, I turned sixteen last January. It's nice to see you again sir." Joshua said.

They quickly finished the loading and everyone piled into the car. Edward was the last person in. As he sat down and pulled the door closed behind him he turned with a frown to look at his old mentor's face. The man was smiling calmly as he watched Edward.

"Hello Fullmetal. It's been awhile."


	3. In Which I Encounter a Black Hole

**Hey everyone I've got some good news! School gets out in three weeks for me, and then I should have tons of time to update more often. I'll be honest; I'm really looking forward to not having to worry about molecular biology tests until August lol. Sorry it took me so long to update again, school's been getting intense with finals coming. On top of that, I've been fangirling over the new Kingdom Hearts game that's out. Looking for subtitled videos of gameplay really does make the time fly. I can't believe the ending! I don't really understand what happened (I really wish I could speak Japanese), but I can make a guess. Wow! They weren't kidding when their slogan said "Light would become Darkness and Darkness would become Light!" My mind was blown and I didn't understand half what was going on! **

**Ahem, enough fangirling. Thank you all so much for the reviews that I've gotten! I really hope this story meets your expectations. As a serious question, does Charity seem Mary Sue? I would die if she ended up being one so please tell me if it seems she's going in that direction. This chapter was super fun to write. Finally, some villains! As always, please review and tell me what you think! Without further ado…. Chapter 3 (wow I've made it to chapter 3!)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own FMA just the OC'c (do we really need to put in the disclaimer?)**

A lone figure walked down the long, wide courtyard towards the looming Czar's Palace. Snow swirled about in the bitter wind, and the figure pulled his hooded cloak tighter to ward off the chill. It had been an eventful day, and he was running late to his meeting. He quickly glanced upwards towards the Hukaren Mountains barely visible in the snow storm. Those mountains stood tall and proud, casting their shadow over Drachma's capital city, Idenrov. He couldn't help but admire them as he entered the foyer.

"Young Master." A servant rushed up to greet him and, bowing, reached for his cloak. "The Master has been waiting for your arrival. He's in his office."

"Perfect." he said. "Go and prepare my dinner. I haven't eaten much today while I've been running errands."

"Of course Young Master." The servant said as he bowed again and hurried from the room.

Not giving the servant a second glance, the young master walked towards the grand staircase at the end of the hall. When he had reached the top, he turned left down a richly decorated hallway. The fine carpet and bright lamps would have given off a cheerful atmosphere, but the young master didn't have time to spend with such foolish sentiments. He had a job to do, and news to deliver. At the end of the hallway stood a fine oak door decorated with intricate carvings. He gave the door a small knock before he entered.

On the other side of the door was the Czar's private office. This room had been the young master's favorite from the first time he'd seen it. The floor was a very high quality wood imported from Xing, and intricate paintings decorated the walls. At the far end of the room, sat a large, chestnut desk covered with all sorts of documents. These things were certainly nice, but they weren't the reason he liked this room. That feature was to his right where the wall was made up of full length windows so one could look out and up at the mountains.

"You're late my son." said a voice, catching the young master's attention. A blazing stone fireplace stood to his left, and a solitary man stood there, gazing into the flames with his back turned so the young master couldn't see his face.

"I'm sorry Father, but there was a lot of information I had to gather, and I wanted to be sure it was too your liking." The young master said as he smiled.

"What do you have to report? I will decide if you received sufficient information that would excuse your tardiness."

"It was indeed as you thought, there was a tremor in the world's Gate of Truth yesterday, the very same as two years ago. Once again, Amestris was the epicenter, and this time it was right in front of Central Command. I was also able to confirm, with the information from our spies, that a girl was recovered from the crater."

"And you are sure she is like the man that came with the last tremor?"

"There is no mistaking it. She probably has the same connection to the Gate as he did too."

"This is excellent news. With this, our plans can finally move forward. It is just as Jackson Evans was told by the Truth, his daughter did come. She will no doubt be looking for him. Perhaps we should show Jackson our appreciation for his help by giving them a little family reunion." The Czar smiled wickedly. "It's a shame it won't be a happy one. Fortunately, she won't maintain her identity for long after so her pain will be short lived. Send word to the army, the war with Amestris begins soon. Also, call in the Hunters, they have a small doe to bring in."

The young master grinned smugly, "As you wish Father."

* * *

><p>There was an awkward silence after Mustang left. I sink into my pillows, stunned at what he had told me. I feel something brush my check and I reach with my hand to wipe whatever it is away. I'm surprised when I realize my hand is wet. I'm crying. Riza gives me privacy by looking away as she claims a chair in the corner and begins going through paperwork on her clipboard. I can't help but feel gratitude towards this woman I don't even know.<p>

We sit there for a while with the only sounds coming from the faintly ticking clock and the occasional scribbling noises coming from Riza's pen. I want to say something, but I can't think of anything so I just stare at the curtains over the window that block this room from the outside.

The silence is broken by a nurse that walks in with a tray of food. She smiles brightly as she sets the tray on a small table on wheels that she extends over my bed. "Zah. Te brought dea food. Please tak a eat mal. Tel ze back vek dea finished." She says, handing me some silverware.

"Thank you." I say, and she turns to leave.

She stops right at the door and turns to address Riza. "Do dea want anitan Mrs. Hawkeye?" she asks.

Riza looks up and smiles. "No. Te fine." She says.

The nurse nods and opens the door, stepping into the hallway without saying another word. Once the door closes behind her, I look down to examine what she brought me. It's a bowl of soup and a roll from the looks of it. I feel my stomach growl and blush, positive it was loud enough to be heard from across the room. _I haven't eaten since dinner before I fell through the Gate. I wonder how long it's been?_ My stomach growls again and I give in to its demands.

It's pretty decent for hospital food. I dip my roll in the soup and take a bite. I figure it must be chicken noodle since it tastes just like it. _Then again, what if they don't have chickens in Oz?_ I think sarcastically. _After all, I'm not in Kansas anymore._ I just shake the thought away and keep eating. This is one of those times I don't want to think about the "It tastes just like chicken" phrase.

I finish quickly and push the tray aside. Then, since I don't have anything else to do, I turn to watch Riza again. It's almost like there wasn't any interruption from the nurse. She's busily filling out paperwork like she was before the nurse came in. I remember my first impression of her as a secretary. She could be, but, somehow, I keep thinking there has to be more… She and Mustang seemed closer than just a secretary and boss. I shrug the and decide to break the silence. "What are you doing?" I ask. It seems that the more I hear these people talk, the more I understand, so if I can get her to talk, maybe…

She stops her writing for the second time and looks up at me. "Roy et horrible a kondates ta paperwork so te picking alt zu slack." She says.

I just nod my head and try to pretend I know what's going on. She looks at me like I'm amusing her and sets her clipboard down. "Tell te akush yourself Miss Evens. Vos ak you from? Sa you hamit a family?" She asks slowly.

My brain feels like it's going to explode with all these questions. I know she's slowing down to help me, but it still feels like my head is going through an oil press. She wants to know about where I'm from? _What can I say to that? I'm an alien I come in peace?_ I think sarcastically. I decide on the truth. _It can't get any worse right? _"Well, I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. I have a mom and a dad, but no siblings. I'm 15, and I was born May 25, 1997…" I trail off as her eyes grow wide at the last part.

"1997?" She says.

_Uh oh. _"Yes?" I answer.

"Da… Zut 1935."

I feel my insides freeze. _1935? There's no way that's possible! So am I still on Earth but in the past? If that's the case… _I do some quick calculations in my head. I know World War II was going on around that time. So does this am I just in a different country during World War II? _That can't be right, only the Germans had the title Fuhrer as far as I can recall, and that title belonged to Hitler. That guy's name was Mustang, and he doesn't even have a weird mustache so he can't be Hitler. _"Where am I?" I ask frantically, gesturing around the room for emphasis.

"Vos? Central Command Reguete e Amestris." She pulls out a map from her jacket pocket and points to a large, round country divided into five subsections like States.

The map confirms my suspicions since I don't recognize any of the countries surrounding Amestris either. I frown and sink back into my bed and look up at the ceiling. _Okay so I'm not on Earth…, and it's 1935. I guess that explains the nurses' outfits. That must really be their uniform._ I glance back at Riza who is looking at me with concern. That would make sense since I just told her I'm from 1997, just not her 1997 apparently.

"Thank you. I…. " my voice shakes. This whole thing is really starting to get to me now. For the briefest moment, I want to go home without my dad. _No, I need to find him. I can't leave him here, and once I find him I get to kick his butt for messing with dimensions. The Truth probably won't let me go home without him anyway. _I take a deep breath and muster all the strength I can. With two years of experience dealing with my dad's disappearance and the rumors about my mom having something to do with it, I've gotten pretty good at handling things, but this if the most difficult situation I've ever been in. With my resolve strengthened, the tension in my head seems to dissipate. "I guess this whole thing is really freaking me out. I would try to explain the whole thing, but I don't think you would understand me anyway." I say.

Riza looks at me and her lips curve into a wry smile. "That's the fastest I've ever seen someone pick up a language before." She says.

I stare at her in shock. _Did I seriously understand what she just said!_ I think. I have never been so relieved in my life. _I officially feel sorry for all the native Spanish speakers back home in California. I will never complain about them not learning English ever again! _"You can understand me?" I say.

She nods. "Perfectly. This makes things easier for everyone." Then, she sits up in her chair and takes on an all business expression. "Now, let's start over. My name is Riza Hawkeye. It's a pleasure to meet you Charity Evans."

"It's nice to meet you too Mrs. Hawkeye."

"Just Riza is fine. I want you to tell me how you got here, but we should wait for Roy to get back with Edward and Alphonse. It wastes time if you have to explain more than once."

"You're probably going to think I'm crazy." I respond

Riza gives me a small smile. "You'd be surprised. I've seen a lot of crazy things I wouldn't have believed if I hadn't been there. So, tell me more about yourself, and I'll tell you about myself. What are your hobbies?"

"Well, I really like playing tennis…." We talk back and forth for what feels like a long time. I'm able to forget a little bit about my situation as I enjoy learning more about her and telling her about myself. Turns out she is Mustang's secretary, but I was right about there being something more. She's his wife too! They have a daughter named Rebecca who's twelve now. She smiles as she talks about how much of a doting father Mustang is, and I have a hard time picturing that since he looked so serious when I met him.

We're interrupted by a knock at the door. "I'm back. The traffic coming in was terrible though so it took longer than I was expecting." Mustang says as he walks through the door followed by two other men. My eyes are instantly drawn to one of them and I shriek in alarm. I've never seen anything so terrifying in my life! Not the man, but what was behind him. I'd come to accept that everyone had a floating door of some kind following them around, and apparently only I could see them. This was different. There was nothing there, and _not_ in the normal way. It looked like a gaping black hole to oblivion; it left the room feeling empty, and I felt empty too.

I panic and, forgetting about how sore I still am, try to climb out of my bed. I stumble and fall to the floor where I see a giant eye opening underneath me. Small black hands stretch out and around me protectively. I'm vaguely aware that I'm the one moving them, and I can feel them in a way too. I hear frantic shouting and I see a flash of blue light come from one of the new men. The wall next to me seems to reach out and wraps itself around my ankles and wrists. I scream and the little black hands attach to the wall that is restraining me; the bonds around my wrists disintegrate.

I try and struggle to me feet when I hear a small pop and feel a small pain in my shoulder. I look up and locate the source of the sound; Riza is standing there with gun in her hand aimed right at me. _I just got… shot…_? I think as I look down at my shoulder. There's a small dart protruding from it. Suddenly, I feel a wave of dizziness and everything around me goes fuzzy. The last thing I see before passing out is the eye underneath me slowly closing…

* * *

><p>There was a stunned silence as everyone watched the blonde girl sway and then go limp. As she began to fall, the eye underneath her closed and disappeared. Al managed to catch her before she hit the floor.<p>

"What the hell _was _that?" Ed exclaimed, breaking the silence.

Al shook his head as he picked her up and set her gently back on the bed. "I'd like an explanation too, but I don't think we'll get one from her as long as she's unconscious." He said. "Brother…," he looked at Ed. "Could she be a homunculus? That was eerily similar to what Pride could do, except it also looked like the Gate of Truth."

Ed looked at Charity thoughtfully. "No, I don't think she's a homunculus. Otherwise, that tranquilizer wouldn't have taken her down even if she was human based. She's something else."

Mustang sighed with exasperation and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "This is just getting more and more out of hand. We should restrain her so that doesn't happen again once she wakes up. If any hospital staff get involved…. That would be more paperwork. Riza, do you have any idea what set her off? You've been with her this whole time."

"No, but I do have some news to report. While you were gone she picked up the language. She's fluent now. She also said she was born in 1997…"

He just looked at her as his eyes widened in surprise. "What? How is that possible?"

"I don't know, but nothing would surprise me now." She said.

"So what do we do now? How long is that tranquilizer going to last Riza?" Ed asked.

"It should last about fifteen minutes, long enough to restrain her, although Alphonse already tried that and it didn't work. Roy, what's your plan?" Riza said.

"We'll restrain her anyway since she at least won't be able to pull any sudden movements." He turned to look at the Elric brothers. "You two should leave the room before she wakes up. I have a suspicion that she reacted because of you two. Riza and I will be fine on our own. Alphonse, if you would use alchemy to make sure she's secured before you go."

"Alright." Al clapped his hands together and touched the bed frame. It quickly wrapped itself around Charity's arms and legs, firmly holding her down.

"Al and I will be just outside though…in case anything happens" Ed replied before strolling out of the room with Al right behind him.

* * *

><p>The first thing I feel when I wake up is my head throbbing. <em>What happened…? <em>Then I remember. I got shot with a tranquilizer gun after going on a crazed rampage. _Wonderful. I probably just labeled myself crazy. _The next thing I feel is tightness around my arms and legs. I try moving them, but they're held fast. _They tied me up too… Can't say I blame them. _I can hear hushed voices talking in the corner and consider feigning I'm still asleep. _That gets me nowhere though._ I take a deep breath and open my eyes.

Mustang and Riza are watching me closely as they whisper to each other. We all sit there quietly for a bit, nobody really sure what to say. Then, Riza breaks the silence.

"Are you okay?" she asks.  
><em>What an out of place question. <em>I think. I just went off the deep end and she wants to know if I'm okay. "Yes…" I say.

"Good." She says.

Not missing a beat, Mustang quickly steps in. "So it's true, you really do understand. In that case, what happened? I want an explanation for your actions."

"I… I don't really know what happened." I say. "I saw…" I trail off and look away.

"You saw…?" Riza presses me to continue.

"I've been seeing doors that float in the air above people. That's never happened to me before. I've never seen people with doors floating above them where I come from. But here, they're everywhere, and they're all a little different."

"Doors that float above people?" Mustang asks.

I nod. "Yes." I turn my head to look at Riza. "Yours has a lock on it, just like the nurses that have come in." Then, I look at Mustang. "You have one too except its open and there's a giant eye that's looking out. That's how I knew you'd seen the Truth. I don't know how I knew, but… The same goes for one of the men that came in with you…" My voice cracks when I mention those two. I don't want to think about what I saw on the other one.

"I see, so if you've been seeing these doors everywhere, why did you panic like that?" Riza asks.

I bite my lip and shake my head. Then, taking a deep breath, I say, "One of the men that came in didn't have a door, but it wasn't like I've always seen up until now. There was a black hole where it should have been, and it was so empty and dark. It felt wrong, and sad. It was very sad; I can't even imagine how something like that happens. I've never been so scared in my life."

Mustang and Riza's eyes both widen at what I say. I think they realize something I don't.

"Those two were involved in an unfortunate accident a long time ago. The one you're talking about sacrificed his door to save the other one's life. They've both seen the Truth, and the price they paid for that meeting it was very high." Riza says.

I don't know what to say to that, so I just nod and look at my hands that are being restrained by… my bed? _This world is so messed up._ I think to myself.

"Is it alright if we bring them both back in? They came here to help you." Riza says.

Again, I nod my head and watch as Mustang stands up and leave the room. I can hear muffled voices beyond the door, and, a few minutes later, Mustang walks in with the two men close behind. I feel myself instinctively stiffen when the black hole floating above the one with longer hair also comes in.

"Charity," Mustang says, "I'd like to introduce you to Edward and Alphonse Elric." He points to one and then the other. "Elrics, this is Charity Evens."

"It's nice to meet you." Says Alphonse as he reached his hand out to shake mine. I just stare at him with my arms still tied up. "Oh! I'm sorry, I'll fix that right away." He claps his hands together and touches my bed. There's another flash of blue sparks and the bed releases my arms and legs and repairs itself.

_Okay don't panic again. Remain calm Charity. You've seen floating doors, black holes, and you're in 1937. There's no reason people can't have super powers too. Take a deep breath…_ I think my face must be giving away my thoughts a bit because everyone is watching me with concern. "Wha… What did you just do!" I say as calmly as I can, but my voice goes up a couple octaves.

"I'm sorry Charity; I didn't mean to startle you. It's called alchemy. Lots of people use it. Have you really never seen it?" Alphonse says.

_Alchemy? That's what we had before chemistry, but I thought that was a bunch of wackos mixing stuff in labs and trying to turn lead into gold. I've never heard of alchemy like this! It _shouldn't _be possible. Then again… I'm here and that shouldn't be possible either. At this point should anything surprise me?_ "Do you mean alchemy like with a philosopher's stone and turning lead into gold? That's a junk science where I live, nobody's practiced it in over four-hundred years. I've never even heard of something like that happening when people did practice it!" I say quickly.

Alphonse just smiles awkwardly and scratches the back of his head with his head. "Well, it's not junk science here…"

I notice the other brother, Edward, seems to be hanging back a little, and I figure it's because of how I reacted when he first came in. I can't help but feel really guilty, so I look right at him. "I'm sorry, I…" I trail off, not sure what else to say. There's a really awkward silence after that.

Mustang breaks it. "So, you say you've never seen alchemy where you're from, but that doesn't tell us where that is or how you got here. If you would, Miss Charity, I want to know about your trip through the Gate of Truth and what you're doing here."

"Just Charity is fine. I don't really know where to start. I guess it was when my dad disappeared…" I begin to tell them my story. I know it sounds totally crazy, but I figure they can just deal with it after everything crazy I've had to witness. I talk for a long time, only occasionally interrupted by a question or two from my audience. For the most part, they just listen quietly. "…And then you two came in and, since the language was still weird, had me draw some really lame pictures. I guess you know what happens after that." I conclude my story.

Every sits there for a while thinking over what I've just told them. To my surprise, it's Edward who talks first. "So you come from a different time and dimension, and you're looking for your dad who disappeared two years ago…" He trails off and looks at me. "Two years ago there was a similar incident to your appearance in Eastern Command, but nobody was found in the crater that was left over. Al and I were some of the people who examined it. That would be a good starting point for your search."

_Finally! A starting line!_ For the first time today, things are starting to look up.

"Jumping the gun as usual Fullmetal. Despite my efforts to keep this whole thing low key, the people know someone was found alive in the crater. She's going to be in the public eye once she leaves the hospital so getting to Eastern Command would be tricky without drawing attention. We're in a cold war with Drachma right now, and it's possible they may want to know more about the girl who showed up in a crater what wiped out a four hundred meter radius. On top of that, the other crater is an area fenced off from the public so she would need a military escort, which would also draw attention." Mustang says. I can feel myself deflating with every word. He turns to look at me. "It won't be easy, but I think I can come up with a plan with a little time. It's perfect since you should stay here for a few more days. The doctors informed me earlier you shouldn't be up yet."

"Thank you! I'm fine waiting a few more days before I start, this is… more help than I was expecting. I figured you were going to lock me up for study or something…" I trail off. Maybe I shouldn't give them ideas?

Alphonse looks at me with an expression of horror. "Is that what they do where you're from!" he asks.

"It happens in movies. I don't know if it happens in real life…but you have a lot of stuff here that doesn't fit "real life" back home so…" I can feel myself blushing in embarrassment.

Riza spares me from the attention by what she says next. "It's getting late, and you still have paperwork to file Roy." I watch as Mustang visibly cringes. "We should all give Charity some space; she's had a rough day. Edward, Alphonse, you and your families are welcome to stay with us since you're both here as a favor. Everyone else is out seeing the city, right? We'll have their escorts round them up."

"Thank you Riza, that's very generous." Alphonse says as he stands up from the chair he'd been sitting in.

"Winry will be happy…" Edward added, although he looked sick for some reason.

After they leave, another nurse comes in with my dinner. This meal tastes better than the last one. Maybe it's because my biggest trial seems to be behind me. _I'm coming dad…_


	4. In Which I Have an Uncomfortable Dinner

**Hi everyone, it's me again! Sorry this update took so long to get online, the week I normally try and update happened to be finals week and I was trying to be a good student and study. After that I went home and I wanted to visit with my family a bit (not to mention unpack!). Then I fell off a roof and got about four hairline fractures in my spine and hips so it hurt to sit long enough to write this, but now I've finally found a good opportunity to update. Also, this chapter just didn't want to be written -_- This delay does come with some good news though! Now that I've finished the semester, I won't be starting school up again until the fall so I'll have plenty of time to work on this in between hanging out with family and working. I have to say, I am sooooo glad that molecular biology class is over! Ugh, if I have to take another class that nasty I may change my major (probably not, but that class seriously sucked)! Once again, please review! It motivates me to keep writing this, and I really like to hear people's opinions. I understand a lot of people don't like OC's so I hope mine is okay, but if you see any need for improvement please let me know! Thanks to all the people who have reviewed/favorited/alerted so far, I hope you all stay with me! Okay enough of me, here's chapter four! Disclaimer: I do not own FMA!**

"This tunnel is creepy. Are you guys _that_ concerned about keeping me low profile? Couldn't you have just said I was unlucky and happened to be in the exact spot that the crater showed up? That would have been easier than this…" I say as I look around the alchemy made tunnel with my flashlight.

Alphonse shakes his head. "Unfortunately, that crater showed up in an authorized people only zone so no civilian should have been there. Since you don't have military clearance, just happening to be there is unlikely. The people are already nervous after this second unexplained crater. The official story is that it was a gas explosion caused by an alchemy experiment gone wrong, but a lot of people who remember the Promised Day are skeptical. Mustang is trying to keep suspicion down, and you showing up would give the press a field day."

"Promised Day?" I ask.

Edward sighs and adds, "Mustang wants to keep this whole thing low profile so he's limited who's been in contact with you. The military hospital will keep your arrival classified on principle. Mustang also had to be careful about not drawing attention to himself. There were other men injured in the blast so it doesn't look too suspicious for him to go into the hospital. He's always been careful to cover his tracks."

"Why does that not surprise me? Even in this dimension, politicians never change." I sigh and point my flashlight down the tunnel still unable to see the end of it. What a crazy week it's been.

The past few days had passed by in a blur. Nurses came in and out to check on me or give me food, and the occasional doctor came in to make sure I was healthy enough to leave. After the second day, I was finally able to climb out of bed and stand up without falling over. I used my new found mobility to open the curtains that had been blocking off my window. Unfortunately, I had one of the rooms that face a concrete wall so there wasn't much to see. I think hospitals do that to mess with people, give them a sense of being in prison while they recover so they try and get out as fast as possible. Make room for the next patient.

I wasn't allowed out of my room so there was no way to improve on my poor scenery and so, bored out of my mind, I experimented with the radio in the room. When I first woke up I thought it was antique, as it turned out, it was only about five years old, go figure. It took me a while to figure out how to use the little dial things, and the antenna needed to be adjusted every time I touched the dial, but I managed to get it. My efforts were in vain though. Since the music sounded like my grandpa's, I couldn't listen very long before turning it off. Instead, I resorted to pacing to build up leg strength while reading a book that Riza was kind enough to leave me. It felt like I hadn't walked or used my legs in years. I don't know why, but that journey through the gate really took a lot out of me. According to Mustang, I was lucky it wasn't worse, but he wouldn't say more.

Speaking of Mustang, I got occasional visits from him, Riza, and the Elric brothers during my week long imprisonment. They filled me in on the plan to get me out without drawing attention, and then keeping me secret afterwards. I figured getting out would be the biggest problem since it's not like I look different from the people here so blending in shouldn't be hard. Personally, I think the people who stand out most are the Elrics. I glance at them both out of the corner of my eye in the gloom. I haven't seen a single other person with gold hair and eyes since I got here. Lost in thought, I recall the conversation we all had yesterday.

"_Okay, here's the plan." Mustang was filling me in on my final day in the hospital. "The Elrics will make a tunnel using alchemy and pick you up from the hospital discreetly. This way nobody from the outside sees them going into the hospital and then not coming out when they bring you back through the tunnel. The tunnel will lead to the Fuhrer's mansion where everyone else will be waiting. We already have the documents that will allow you to pass as a citizen here, your official identity is the daughter of a distant cousin of Riza's. You're in the capital to visit her from Northern Command where you're from, and then you will be leaving with Alphonse Elric who has agreed to take you as a pupil to study alchemy in Resembool. That will get you to Eastern Command where you should be able to investigate that other crater. After that…. we'll see where you go from there."_

"_Thank you for everything sir, I really am grateful for all this help." I said._

"_It's no big deal, it brings back memories of helping out other stray teenagers who are in over their heads" He chuckled. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward flash a look of annoyance and Alphonse looked sheepish._

"_Don't get cocky Mustang, those stray teenagers saved your ass more than once." Edward said._

_Mustang's eye twitched before he turned around and replied, "Says the runt who was almost lunch for those Immortal Legion monsters."_

_That statement made no sense to me. _Immortal Legion? What's that?_ And_, _as far as I could tell, Edward was about the same height as both Mustang and his brother, but it seemed to have pissed him off anyway._

"_That was a long time ago! I'm just as tall as you are now you bastard! Anyways, there were dozens of them, and they wouldn't stay down! That's why they're called the Immortal Legion dumbass!"_

"_Whatever. If it hadn't have been for my extra firepower, you'd have been lunch." Mustang said triumphantly._

_I was laughing by that point. The first time they had started fighting, I hadn't been sure how to react, but by now I was used to it. They fought like two really good friends, but neither wanted to admit it. It was the strangest relationship I had ever seen. _

_Edward was about to say something else when Alphonse cut in. "Well, we need to get going. It's getting late and Mae had a few things she wanted to go over with me before dinner. Brother, didn't Winry want to take a look at your leg before dinner too? I remember her saying something about not being late…" Alphonse trailed off._

_At the mention of Winry, Edward had frozen and looked slightly panicked. "What time is it?" he said as he glanced at the clock. "Dammit! She wanted me back twenty minutes ago! Well, we've got to go; Al and I will pick you up tomorrow. Goodnight!" He said as he dashed out the door._

"_See you tomorrow Charity." Alphonse said as he followed his brother out, followed closely by Mustang._

"We're almost there." Edward says, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I glance into the gloom and, sure enough, my flashlight reveals a solid wall up ahead. "So we're under the Fuhrer's mansion now? Where are we going to be coming out?" I ask.

"The cellar, it's huge and out of the way so if he happens to have visitors we won't look suspicious popping out of the ground." Alphonse answers.

I give them both a wry look. "This really is too much. It's not like people are looking for me, and people rarely see things they're not looking for. Are people here really that paranoid?"

"Well, about twenty years ago, Amestris was almost destroyed by the government so people are more suspicious now. Mustang made this country a democracy and has been trying to clear the distrust, but an attempted military coup by some of the top generals to overthrow the previous Fuhrer is enough to make people lose faith in the government. On top of that, relations with Drachma, a country that borders us to the north, have been deteriorating ever since we became a democracy. They weren't good before, but it's gotten a lot worse. Amestrians think the craters may be some type of attack from Drachma, and they're convinced the government is trying to cover it up. They're saying you were a suicide bomber that survived." Edward says.

"The government_ is_ covering it up though…" I trail off and look at the ground.

"That's true, but it's not for the reason the people think. If the government just said you were someone from a different world, lots of people may panic and think it was an alien invasion of some kind. To keep the peace, Mustang has decided it's better that people don't know there are other life forms out there." Alphonse explains.

"I see…" We've just now reached the end of the tunnel and I look around for the exit. Alphonse points to a ladder and then starts to climb. Lost in thought I follow right after him with Edward climbing up last. _So now I'm part of a government alien cover-up…great. I always wanted to be in the know if there was some alien cover-up back home, but, somehow, I always figured I wouldn't be on the receiving end._

I sigh and look up where I see Alphonse is pushing up a hatch. Light streams down as he climbs out and then reaches his arm down to pull me up. I grab his hand and allow him to pull me out. Once I'm clear, I gaze around the cellar while Edward pulls himself out. It's not really what I pictured. I thought it would be dark and gloomy like the cellar in _The Cask of Amontillado_. It's well lit and feels homey with stone walls and a wooden floor. There are rows of shelves lined with all sorts of foods, preserves, and wines.

"So….. now what?" I ask.

"One minute, I need to close off the tunnel. I left a whole bunch of alkahestry arrays down there so I can close it all at once from a distance." Alphonse says as he claps his hands together. Blue sparks dance around his hands right before he places them on the hatch and the sparks fly down the tunnel giving off an eerie glow. Then everything, including the hatch we had just come through, disappear with the only sign that the tunnel had even existed evident in the weird square flakes that I've figured are a side-effect of alchemy.

I've watched this alchemy stuff quite a few times since I've gotten here, and it still really freaks me out. At first I wasn't sure why, but after a few times watching, I realized that it gave me a feeling similar to being inside the Gate. I could feel that giant eye watching me from the shadows, and it made my skin crawl. It didn't help that I could see the eye staring at me through certain people's individual gates, and feel the black hole where Edward's gate was supposed to be. I can't help but smile wryly as I think about my cover story. _And_ _I'm going to be "studying" alchemy in the East with these people… that's great. Just great. _I take a deep breath to steady myself and look away when I notice their concerned faces. I must look pretty pale, and it's embarrassing. Mom has always said my face is an open book when it comes to how I feel despite my best efforts to hide it.

"Well, now that that's done, we go this way to get out…" Edward says as he takes the lead. I just nod my head and follow. There's a really awkward silence that dampens the mood quite a bit.

Uncomfortable with the silence, I ask, "So Drachma's like an evil Canada?"

"What's a canada? Some kind of animal?" Alphonse asks looking relieved that I said something.

"Uhhhhhh, no. It's a country that borders the United States to the north. Only they're not evil…" I reply while laughing weakly.

"…Oh…" Alphonse grins and Edward lets out a loud sigh before clapping his brother on the shoulder and laughing.

"You missed the boat with that one Al. You're too worried about stuff, lighten up." He grins and, for some reason, we all start laughing as we head for the stairway that leads out of the cellar. Once we reach the top, Edward puts his arm in front to bar the way and looks at me seriously. "Remember, the only people who know where you're really from are Al, Mustang, Riza, Winry, Mae, and me. Be careful about what you say around anyone else. Everyone is out of the house right now, but they'll be back soon so make sure you act the part. Got it?"

I put on my best determined face and nod. _I am so screwed! I've never been able to act. That's why I played the tree in my elementary school play! _I think to myself as Edward turns away and pushes open the door.

…

Viktor Menshikov sighed and leaned against rocks looming over the snow cave he had just finished making. He hated being delayed by the storm, but freezing to death wasn't going to do any good and he wasn't one to argue with the captain. He glanced south beyond the mountain peak where he sat towards the lofty wall of Fort Briggs. They were only a two hour walk from the border and then the real game began.

"It's pretty impressive isn't it? I've seen it a few times in my life and it never gets old. I've got to hand it to those weak Amestrians, that fort has been our vice for generations. Their General Armstrong is really something. I've seen her once from a distance. Eyes of a grizzly she-bear and a temper to match would describe her." Yuri chuckled as he walked up to the younger man with two thermoses of coffee in hand. "However, I'd be casting my eyes north for a last look of the homeland. You won't see it until after this is over you know." He settled himself against the rock beside Viktor and held out a thermos.

"Thanks." Viktor said as he grabbed the thermos and took a sip. It was lukewarm but it was better than nothing.

The two men sat in silence for a bit just gazing over the frozen landscape. Viktor was going to miss it while he was in mild-weathered Amestris, a soft country for weak people. Not like the harsh, character building tundra and pine forested mountains of Drachma.

"I'm not worried, we'll be back soon. This won't even be a challenge." Viktor said with contempt.

Yuri chuckled. "Not much of a ladies' man are you? Don't worry, you're looks would probably scare them away anyway."

Viktor scowled. "No, I just think this type of mission is beneath us. We do this for thrills not money, but the captain dropped everything for this job and its big paycheck!"

"Hey! 330 million rubles is more than any of us ever expected to see in our lifetimes!" Yuri laughed at Viktor's sour expression and slapped the young man's shoulder. "I'm only kidding! If anything, it's your stiff demeanor that will scare all the girls away! But seriously, it has nothing to do with the money. It's an honor to be called by the Czar to serve our country. The captain picked up this job for the honor of it. Plus, we get to mess up a few Amestrians along the way, that's a thrill all on its own." Yuri laughed and turned his thermos up to get the last dregs of coffee from the bottom. Once he had finished, he stood up straight and looked at Viktor seriously. "Take this as a big honor, and think of it like this: we're the first strike team that gets sent into Amestris before our armies come and bring down their proud walls.

"Drachma has never been in such a good position before and it's all thanks to the Czar. He's only had the title for a year and a half now, but I've never seen the country develop faster. I'm proud of this opportunity to serve Drachma and the Czar. This old man gets to bring honor to his house before the grave claims him. You're still pretty young Viktor, when you're my age you'll understand what I mean." Yuri turned and started to head towards his own snow cave. Then he paused and called over his shoulder, "Get some sleep tonight, you'll need to be on your toes once we cross the border tomorrow."

Viktor watched Yuri as the old man crawled into a snow cave to wait out the storm. Yuri had been like a father to him ever since he was young. The old man had found him on the streets of Buchavir as a small orphan boy and took him in. That had been seventeen years ago now. Viktor had learned everything he knew from Yuri while traveling around with the guild. He couldn't imagine life without any of them, but mostly Yuri.

"Honor for your house…" Frowning, Viktor drew one of his hidden knives and, quick as lightning, through it at a gap in the rocks where it stuck tight. "Are you both proud of me? Mom? Dad?" Viktor sighed and looked up at the over cast sky before climbing into his own snow cave. As he lay in the darkness listening to the wind blow outside, his thoughts turned to the events of the past week.

It had been barely a week ago that their guild had gotten the summons from the Czar. Up until then, they had been trying to track down a dangerous and elusive fugitive in the far north end of Drachma, but they had abandoned the hunt to head to Idenrov and meet with the Czar. Viktor had been put off by the summons since they were close to catching the fugitive.

Once in Idenrov, the Czar pulled out a briefcase full of money and said it was theirs once they finished a job he had for them. All they had to do was bring in some fifteen year old girl. Alive he had stressed. Anyone that happened to be around her was disposable, but she needed to be alive. Viktor pulled out the grainy photo of the girl that the Czar had given him. She didn't even look like she could put up a fight. She was in a hospital room for crying out loud! Why the Czar wanted her was beyond him, but it was a job so the client's privacy was always respected.

"Charity Evans. What strange names Amestrians have. The Czar certainly thought your name was amusing. So did his son for that matter. I hope you're tougher than you look or this is going to be really boring." Viktor put the photo away and rolled over to face the wall where his supply pack was. Dyed into the leather of the pack was a red wolf paw-print in front of two crossed swords. The symbol of the Hunters.

…

I sit in my chair awkwardly as I look at the plate of spaghetti in front of me. Even though I'm trying to mind my own business, I can tell I'm at the center of attention. I try to refrain from squirming around under all the scrutiny. _Remember Charity, you're from Northern Command. There's lots of snow up there. Mining is a big industry. Briggs is a fort. Drachma is up north… It's a country like Canada but evil… _I list all the facts I know about Northern Command in my mind while silently hoping nobody asks me anything. _Why the hell would they give someone from _SouthernCalifornia_ a cover identity in the north! I've seen snow like, maybe twice in my life! And it was a light dusting that was gone before noon! I don't know anything about this stuff! _I think while recalling the events of the past few hours.

About an hour after arriving at the mansion with Edward and Alphonse, everyone else showed up and I was introduced to the entire Elric family along with Rebecca, Riza and Mustang's daughter. It was stressful because I had to play my role as Riza's cousin's daughter while trying to remember a ton of new names at once. To top it all off, the sheer number of gates hovering in the air around all these people made me feel claustrophobic.

I could tell right off the bat that the boy who looked a lot like Edward…_Joshua?_... his sister…._?_..._I can't remember her name_… the Chinese looking girl…_Yue…_ and Rebecca were all alchemists. Thankfully, their gates weren't open like Mustang's and Alphonse's, but they weren't locked either. Yue's mom…_I can't remember her name either…_ was also an alchemist. Winry wasn't, since her gate was locked just as firmly as Riza's.

All the extra unlocked gates had been making me feel panicked, and, right before I was about to snap, the butler came in and saved me by declaring dinner ready. Everyone had filed into the dining room after that determined to pick up the conversation once everyone was seated. And that's how I found myself staring at my plate praying nobody would talk to me too much.

I glance up from my plate to examine the people sitting at the table around me. It's a full house tonight. _Even fuller with the semi-transparent floating gates around everyone, but nobody notices that._ I think sarcastically. I'm starting to feel dizzy so I look down at my untouched plate and mechanically start eating while avoiding eye contact with people. _Be the chair. Be invisible. _I think to myself.

The locked gates are by far my favorite because I can't sense the creepy vibes from the other side coming through them. All these alchemists in the room are leaving a weird charge in the air like static, I can feel my arm hairs standing on end. That wasn't even the most bizarre of the sensations all these alchemy doors are giving me though. Maybe I'm going crazy, but I swear I can _feel _my shadow. Thankfully, I'm sitting in between Riza and Winry so it could be a lot worse. _Get used to it Charity, you'll be around alchemists until you get out of this screwy dimension. Once you find Dad, you'll never have to see creepy floating doors and other backwards stuff again._ I do feel guilty being so uncomfortable around these people though. They've helped me so much, and I just want to pretend they're not there right now...

"So, Charity, what's it like in Northern Command?"

I jump in my seat and look up, my green eyes meeting the solid gold ones of Edward's son, Joshua, who had just asked me the question. My mind goes blank and I look around the table as all the adults look at me expectantly.

"Umm…where?" I stammer lamely as I feel the heat rising in my cheeks.

"Northern Command…where you're from, right?" He replies with an amused expression.

_Crap! I just blew it! _I feel like melting into the floor. _Dammit Charity! Calm down or you're never going to sell this identity. Stop being a spaz and just answer the question. It's not even that hard to answer! Deep breath…_ I breath in and try to collect myself before pulling my most winning smile. It feels fake under everyone's gaze._ Argh! Everyone stop staring at me!_

"Oh, Northern Command! Well, it's… a lot colder than here and we get more snow than I would like. But it's not as bad in the summer… There's a lot of mining and logging industry up there so the economy's good. Metal and wood are always in demand…Yeah… Oh! You see Fort Briggs soldiers every once in a while buying things from town…" I trail off and take a big bite of spaghetti to hide my shame. _The career path of top-secret spy has officially been barred from me. I can't act to save my life._

"What's it like to live so close to Drachma with the cold war going on?" Sara asks as she jumps into the conversation.

I swallow the noodles in my mouth (which taste like ash by this point), and blurt, "Well, it's kind of scary sometimes, but we all feel safe with Fort Briggs protecting the border. If Canada ever attacks, Briggs will stop them." I look at all the confused faces around the room, with the exception of Edward and Alphonse who look like they're trying not to laugh, and start to panic. _What did I say wrong?_

"Canada?" Yue says as she tilts her head to the side.

_I just said Canada. Can this get _any _worse?_ My heart is pounding so fast I'm sure everyone can hear it. The weird charge in the air I've been feeling all night starts to build to a low hum in my ears and, as if I wasn't already freaking out, the crazy impression I have of feeling my shadow starts to get stronger. I'm about to declare myself officially insane when Edward and Alphonse come to my rescue.

"Canada is the new general in Drachma, right? You mentioned him earlier when we were picking you up from the train station." Edward says as he nods in my direction.

"Yeah, he's a rising star in the Drachman military, right?" Alphonse adds without missing a beat.

"Yes! General Canada. He's been more aggressive on the border than previous generals have been, but, like I said Fort Briggs can handle it." I silently thank Edward and Alphonse as I add the final touch to their nice save. Then, to take me out of the hot seat, Winry steps in and changes the topic to a new design of something called automail that she's been working on.

The rest of the evening meal passes by without mishap, and I take the first opportunity I get to retreat to my room with the "I'm tired from traveling" excuse. After walking down a few hallways and up a few flights of stairs, I find myself lying on my bed in the dark and staring out the window. The city looks nice from here with all the lights shining through my window. Three days from now I'll be on a train to Resembool to start my search for Dad. Or rather, I smile wryly, to begin my alchemy training. I sigh and roll onto my back. I totally failed at dinner tonight, and I need to do better if I'm going to hold onto my cover story. I'm just a terrible liar. Growing up, I never had to hide anything from Mom. We only had each other after Dad ended up here so we shared everything.

I feel a pit in my stomach form as I think about Mom. I hope she's okay, although I know she's not. _I wonder if everyone's blaming her for my murder too?_ Last time she had me and I believed her, but what about now? She's all alone this time. I close my eyes and listen to the wind outside. _Is it wrong of me to leave her behind while I try and bring Dad back? Is making her go through all that stuff again worth it? I don't even know if I'll be successful… _I drift off to sleep where I dream of red wolf paw prints, floating gates, and a white, grinning silhouette that says, _"But I know you'll try anyway, which is why we made the deal."_

* * *

><p><strong>So now we're finally getting into the action. I've introduced most of the characters, and Charity is about to start looking for her dad. I hope I didn't insult any Canadians out there with this chapter, but Charity thinks of Drachma as Canada because, like Canada, Drachma is north of the country she is currently in. In all honesty, I think Drachma is a lot more like Soviet Russia (at least that's the idea I got reading FMA). That's why the currency mentioned by the Hunters is in Rubles. The amount the Hunters were offered in rubles is about 10 million American dollars for anyone that was curious. Again, please review, even if the review is short! Even if you didn't like it! It makes my day to see people tell me what they think. (Also, when I pick a fan fiction to read I always compare the number of chapters to the number of reviews and if there aren't a lot of reviews, I don't always read it. I want people to read this and give me feedback so I can improve, but that can't happen if nobody reviews!) Thanks again to all the people that have already read this chapter and my other ones. To those who reviewed, favorited, and alerted my story YOU'RE THE BEST!<strong>


	5. In Which My First Train Ride is Ruined

** Hello again everyone and thanks for staying with me this far. I can't believe I've gotten to chapter 5 already! The funny part is, I'm actually writing it on a train! I just hope my trip is better than Charity's. Again, thanks to all the people who have reviewed. A special thanks to Sky65 who reviewed chapter four, here's the update you asked for. Again, don't forget to review. It's the big button at the bottom of this chapter, and it's gotten even easier with the new quick reply option so you don't even have to open another window. I love getting them so tell me what you think. Thanks again!**

"Charity! Hurry up, the train's about to leave!" Winry's shout is emphasized by the train whistle signaling the final warning.

"One minute!" I shout back as I turn to look a Riza, Mustang, and Rebecca who are standing next to me on the platform. "Thanks again for all your help." I say as I shake Mustang's hand.

"It was our pleasure." He says seriously and nods his head.

"Anything to help out a family member" Riza says as she gives me a brief hug. "Be careful." She whispers seriously before letting me go.

"I'll miss you big sis! Come and see us again soon, okay?" Rebecca grins at me and I smile back.

I hold out my hand and give her a high-five. "Of course I will."

"Charity, the train is starting to pull out!" Sara yells out of one of the windows.

"Crap! I'm coming!" I spin on my heels and make a break for the open doorway that's currently inching forward. Stretching out my hand, I grab on to the railing and hoist myself inside, much to the disapproval of the conductor. I look back towards the platform where the people I just left are standing and give them a final wave before closing the door behind me.

I glance around the train car and feel a little bit dizzy with the sheer number of alchemy gates floating in the air. One for every person so there's about fifty of them (and one black hole) filling the small space. I've gotten better at dealing with the gates after spending the past few days around so many alchemists, but I can still feel the Truth watching everything from the other side. At least most of these gates are locked so the feeling isn't as strong. Fortunately for me, most people in Amestris are not alchemists and so they're gates are locked up. I just happened to end up with one of the few alchemist families. Lucky me, I guess. At least there is a bit of humor in all this. Occasionally I find myself dodging around or ducking under the gates even though they're intangible. It's gotten me a few strange looks from other people who probably think I'm crazy when I flinch and bend over as they walk past. It's sort of turned into my own private joke.

My own personal brand of craziness aside, the train looks pretty much how I expected it would based on photos I've seen of the inside. _I've never been on a train before._ I think to myself excitedly. Of course, it's nothing like the Amtrak trains back home from the twenty-first century, but it kind of resembles the old black and white photos of pre WWII trains. It's kind of narrow and there are benches on either side of the aisle along with luggage racks hanging from the ceiling much like a long distance traveling school bus. The only real difference between it and a school bus (besides more leg room and wider aisles) is that every other bench is facing the opposite direction to create compartments for people to sit in groups and talk. The windows are much larger too.

Glancing out the window, I watch us leave the platform behind and enter a tunnel that will take the train out of the station. It's dark for a moment, and then we burst into the light of the mid-afternoon sun. The buildings of Central Command are zipping by as we move along the track. We'll be out of the city soon. I feel excitement swelling inside me at the thought of seeing more of Amestris. To all those kids back home who brag about going on vacation to exotic countries, I've visited and entirely different dimension. I can definitely top anyone's travel story from now on, not that I would be believed…

"Hey Charity! Quit gawking and come over here, we need another player for _Hearts_." Joshua calls over to me, interrupting my thoughts.

I feel my face flush as I retort, "I'm not gawking! I've never been on a train before, so give me some slack!"

He looks at me with a bemused expression on his face. "So how did you get to Central? Didn't my dad and Uncle Al pick you up from the train station?"

_Argh! This guy is too sharp! He catches every mistake I make! _"I took a bus, and the bus stop happens to be next to the station, which is where they picked me up." I say flatly.

"That sounds like a long drive; I'd hate to be stuck in a bus that long." Sara says as she looks at me with pity.

"It was shorter than you'd think." I say as I walk down the aisle to the compartment where Joshua, Sara, and Yue are sitting. I grab the only available seat next to Sara, who's sitting next to the window, with Joshua across from me and Yue next to him.

"I'll deal this round." Joshua says as he starts shuffling a deck of cards with shrewd expertise. "You know the rules to this game, right?" He glances at me.

_I know how to play _Hearts _back home, but maybe it isn't the same game here. _I consider this as I come up with a reply. "I think so, but you may want to refresh my memory a bit in case you play it differently." I say.

"It's pretty simple." Sara says. She explains the rules while Joshua finishes dealing out cards. Much to my relief, it's exactly like _Hearts _back home, which is perfect since I'm pretty good at this game.

"Okay, now that we all know the rules, let's play." Joshua says.

It's obvious right off the bat that Joshua and I are the two best players. The first round we both score two points with Sara scoring thirteen and Yue scoring nine. As the rounds go by, Joshua and I are neck to neck for first place with Sara in a solid third place and Yue in last. My competitive streak really kicks in as Joshua takes first place by two points, beating my score of twenty, as we go into what I figure will be the last round.

"I'm not very good at this game." Yue sighs as she adds her score up to ninty-five.

"Don't sweat it Yue, I'm not doing so hot either, not like those two monsters over there." Sara laughs as she shuffles the cards, nodding her head towards me and Joshua as we look at each other pensively.

_There is no way I am losing to this guy. _I think as I examine my cards. All of them are pretty high numbers which isn't a good sign. _I'm going to have to try and shoot the moon.* _I have a pretty good chance of doing it, but if they catch on too early they have a chance to stop me.

"Alright, this round you pass to the right!" Sara says as she deals the last card to herself.

I hand three of my cards to Joshua as I grab three from Sara and we start the round. I play card after card as carefully and thoughtfully as I can. _It looks like I'm actually going to do it!_ With three turns left, Sara realizes what I'm trying to do and sighs with resignation as she plays a card. The last turn is my play first and I lay down my last card, Jack of Spades. Sara and Yue follow with a numbered Heart, and I'm about to grin in triumph when Joshua sets down a King of Spades.

"Looks like I get two points this round." He says.

_Nooooooooooooooo! _I sob in my mind, but in real life I just groan and slam my head on the little pull-down table. _I almost had it too!_ The next round goes by with me barely paying attention since I'm still nursing my wounded pride. The final score: Joshua with twenty-four points, me with forty-six points, Sara with seventy-two points, and Yue with one hundred-five points.

"Good game everyone." Yue says as she gives Joshua her cards so he can put them away.

"Anyone want to go another game?" Joshua asks while looking at the three of us. Sara groans and leans back in her seat.

"No way! I don't want to get smashed again thank you very much." She says.

"I think I want to take a break, I've never been out here and I've been missing so much scenery…" I say as I look out the window at the barren grassy flats of nowhere land. Inwardly, I'm still pouting while planning how to beat him next time around.

Joshua just looks out the window and replies, "Yep, lots of grass, weeds, and dirt out there, wouldn't want to miss that."

"I'm glad you understand." I say with a smile.

It's quiet for a while as we listen to Edward, Alphonse, Winry, and Mae in the compartment behind us talking about people I don't even know who live in Resembool. Finally, Sara stands up and stretches, letting out a sigh. "I have to use the restroom, I'll be back. Charity, do you want to come?" She asks.

"Umm, sure. I guess I do have to go too." I say as I stand up and walk into the aisle. She follows me out and then gestures down the hallway.

"It's this way." She says while walking towards the back of the train. We have to walk through a few cars (which is terrifying when crossing between cars) before we get to the restroom. There's only one available at the moment she goes in first. While I wait outside, I walk up and down the aisle to stretch my legs which are getting sore. I glance out the window at the mountains we've recently started moving through. _The pine trees are pretty thick here it would be pretty easy to get lost if you were hiking…_ While looking out the window, I fail to notice the man walking down the aisle in the opposite direction and bump right into him. It feels like I just bumped into a solid wall, and when I look up, I see why. Standing at about six foot nine with a really muscular build, this guy reminds me of those men in _Bowflex_ commercials.

"Oh! I am so sorry, sir! I didn't see you there!" I stammer out nervously.

"Don't worry about it. I wasn't really watching where I was going either." He laughs as he looks down at me with blue eyes. I place his age at mid-twenties.

_He has a Russian sounding accent. How interesting, but he can't really be from Russia since it doesn't exist here. I wonder where he's from? _I smile and say, "I guess we're both distracted then. I'm Charity, it's nice to meet you…"

"Viktor. My name is Viktor. Charity, that's a nice name." He shakes my hand and nods.

"My mom picked it out. She always wanted to name her daughter Charity so that's what my parents named me."

"Charity, it's your turn." Sara says as she walks down the hall towards Viktor and I.  
>"Who's this?" she asks once she spots him.<p>

"Sara, this is Viktor. Viktor, Sara." I introduce them. "Now that you're introduced, I'm going to head for the restroom. I'll be right back." I walk down the hall into the restroom and close the door behind me.

When I walk out a few minutes later, Sara and Viktor are laughing about something. I smile as I walk up and say, "You can use it now Viktor, sorry for taking so long."

"Don't worry about it, I wasn't in a hurry." He says while he looks up and down the aisle casually.

"It was nice to meet you Viktor." Sara says once I catch up to her and we turn to start heading back to our car further up.

"Oh, the pleasure was all mine." He says behind us. Suddenly, I hear a loud thump and I turn in time to see Sara crumble to the ground unconscious.

"Wha….?" I start to say before I feel a hand grab me from behind and press a cloth to my face. I panic and try to spin out of my captors grip and lay a karate beat down on him, but my limbs go numb and then I black out.

…

_That wasn't even a challenge. _Viktor thought as he lifted the limp girl over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. _ They didn't even suspect a thing! I don't care how much we were paid to do this; I don't see any honor in kidnapping some teenager. Even if it's for the country. _He looked at the other girl who was lying in the aisle. A little blood was leaking from her ear, but he figured she would be fine, he hadn't hit her that hard. _Time to get going. Everyone's waiting for me. Oh, almost forgot to send the signal._ He reached in his pocket and pressed a button. Without another thought, he turned and walked toward the back of the car where he pulled open the door and crossed a little bridge to the dining car.

"NOBODY MOVE!" Viktor heard the shout before he had reached to door. The shout was then accompanied by several gunshots and a terrified scream. _Sounds like the guys are going overboard. _He sighed and pushed the door aside, entering without hesitation.

The sight on the other side would have been terrifying if he had been a passenger, but he just felt disgust. Amestrians were cowering pathetically in their seats and bellow the dining tables as his fellow Hunters held them all at gunpoint. In the back, a conductor was clenching his leg where he had been shot when he tried to radio for help. It was hard to believe that these people were the same ones that had held such power over Drachma for so long. They were all so weak.

"So you got her alright? Great, now we can get off this damn train." Captain Slovik said to Viktor in their native language without taking his eyes off the crowd. "Start heading toward the back, we'll follow. Yuri and the rest should have the explosives ready to go by now. Everyone get ready to move out!"

Viktor crossed to the back under the fearful gazes of the Amestrians before opening the door and crossing to the final car of the train. This car was used for storage so they didn't have to worry about other people getting in the way. Once he had entered, he briefly looked around before he spotted Yuri. The old man was leaning against a barrel with a brooding look on his face. Next to him, a few other Hunters were smoking and talking excitedly. When he saw Viktor, Yuri stood up and gestured for the younger man to come in closer.

"Bring her over here and lay her down. No sense carrying her until this car comes to a stop." Yuri said as he pointed to a clear spot on the floor.

"She's actually not that heavy, but alright." Viktor said as he dumped the unconscious girl unceremoniously on the floor where she moaned a little before going silent.

Yuri frowned as he looked at her silent frame. "You could have set her down a bit gentler. She's not as sturdy as our usual targets. Keep that in mind."

Before Viktor had time to reply, Captain Slovik entered the car followed by the rest of the Hunters. "Yuri, the explosives are ready?" he said.

"Yep, all we have to do is light the fuse and this car will break off from the main train." Yuri replied.

"Excellent." Captain Slovik turned to look at some of the other Hunters. "You men, light the fuse and then come back here as fast as possible. I don't want to lose anyone in this phase of the plan." The other men saluted and exited the car, closing the door behind them. "Everyone else find something to hold onto, this is going to be a bumpy ride." He said before walking over to Yuri and Viktor.

"That plan was almost too easy." Yuri said. "Did they really leave so little protection around her?"

Captain Slovik shrugged as he reached in his pocket and started to fumble around with the contents. "I was expecting better security, but as long as we got the target, I don't really care. The tough part is far from being over since now we have to cross the border with her in tow." He seemed to have found what he'd been looking for as he pulled out a pair of handcuffs and tossed them to Viktor. "Put those on her. The Czar said they'll keep her under better control. Don't know what that's supposed to mean, but that's his business."

Viktor caught them and lifted them up to examine. They looked like any ordinary handcuffs except for the five red jewels embedded in the metal rings and spaced evenly apart. He'd never seen gemstones like that. He shrugged and opened up the handcuffs, fitting them snuggly around the girl's wrists. As he was finishing up, he heard the door to the car open and close quickly.

"EVERYONE GET READY! IT'S GONNA BLOW!" came a shout and Viktor braced for the impact, sheltering the captive from potentially falling objects with his own body.

_BOOM!_

The car shook and things fell off the shelves surrounding him. Viktor winced a bit as a

large can of pears hit him in the back. Then, Viktor could feel the car begin to lose momentum. As fast as it had happened, it was over.

"Good work everyone. That went off without a hitch." said Captain Slovik. He was standing at the door holding it open where Viktor could see the train pulling away from their car.

…

_What's up with this? Those two take off and leave me here with Yue. Girls take forever in the bathroom... _Joshua yawned as he leaned back in his seat.

"Josh, are we there yet?" Yue pouted as she hit her forehead against his shoulder.

"Yue, it's the same answer as the last few times you've asked, no, we're not there yet. The answer will be the same five minutes from now too. We get there when we get there."

"Train rides are so boring; I wish something interesting would happen. Let's play a game!"

"You already said you didn't want to play with my deck of cards."

"No! I don't want to play another card game. Let's play _I Spy_! I'll go first. I spy something… blue."

Joshua sighed and rested his head in his hand. He didn't really mind hanging out with Yue, but she was only eleven so they didn't really have much to talk about. Despite that, she always managed to drag him into whatever she wanted to do.

"The carpet." He said.

"Lucky guess, now it's your turn to spy something."

"I spy something…"

_BOOM!_

The whole car suddenly shuddered and swayed, knocking things off the shelves and making people who had been standing fall over.

"What the hell was _that_?" Ed was standing in his seat holding the luggage rack for support with one hand. In the other hand he was holding a bag that he had caught in midair before it had hit Winry.

"Everyone please remain seated, we are having technical difficulties. Please clear the aisles of belongings to allow our conductors and security officials to pass by safely. Thank you!" a voice over the intercom said.

"Technical difficulties?" Mae said as two security officers entered the car and started running for the back where they stood like guards.

"Joshua! Where are Sara and Charity!" Winry was looking at the two empty seats in panic.

"They went to the back to use the restroom…"

"… _no serious gunshot injuries. The terrorists have managed to escape…" _one of the security guards radios echoed into the stunned silence before he managed to turn it off.

"I told you to turn the volume down!" The other security guard whispered harshly at the first one. Sudden pandemonium broke out as the passengers began to panic. In all the chaos, Ed and Al had run to the back where the security guards were standing.

"Heh, technical difficulties my ass! Let us through, we can help." Ed said.

"Sir, please return to your seat." One of the security guards replied.

"You idiot! It's the Elric brothers, let them through." The other guard said as he stood aside and opened the door allowing Ed and Al through.

"Alphonse, I'm coming too! I can heal anyone who was injured." Mae said as she ran to catch up.

"Dad, wait up! I can help too!" Joshua said as he bounded out of his seat towards the closing door.

"Joshua! Stay here!" Winry shouted after him.

"Hold it there young man, _you_ need to stay in your seat!" both security officers said as they tried to grab him. Joshua hunched down and slid through the door before it closed behind him. _Sorry, but there's no way I'm just sitting and waiting around._

He caught up with the others in the next car.

"Joshua! What are you doing here?" Mae asked.

"Joshua!"Ed stopped and spun around to face his son. "What are you doing here! It's dangerous."

"Brother, we don't have time…" Al said.

"You guys go ahead, I'll be right behind you!" Ed nodded at Al before looking back to Joshua with a frown.

"We'll see you in a bit then, Ed. Come on Alphonse!" Mae shouted as she started running down the aisle again.

"Josh, you need to stay here. It's too dangerous for you to come."

"Dad, I want to help and Sara's down there…"

"I know that! Why do you think I'm going? That doesn't change the fact that you need to stay here though!"

"Why! Why do I need to stay here! You're always saying stuff like that, but then you tell us about all the crazy stuff you did when you were my age! You helped save this country from the military coup**! I'm not a kid Dad! I can stand on my own two feet, and I'm a pretty good alchemist myself! Mom always said I take after you, and I'll be damned if I have to sit and do nothing!" Joshua clenched his fists in frustration as he looked down at the floor to avoid Ed's eyes. _I can't believe I just said that…_ There was silence for a moment.

"Well, if you feel that strongly about it, I can't really say 'no' can I? It would certainly make me a hypocrite." Ed sighed.

Joshua's eyes widened as he looked up at his dad in surprise. Ed had a grin on his face as he stretched out his hand to clap Joshua on the back. "Your mom is going to be pissed at me, but what the hell? Let's go!"

…

"He hasn't caught up yet…" Mae said as she ran down the aisle close behind Al.

"I'm sure he's on his way." Alphonse threw open the door to the next car where he saw a lot of people were gathered on the floor leaning over something.

"Please step back everyone, I'm trying to treat her, but she needs room…" a voice said from the middle of the crowd.

"It looks like someone is injured up ahead." Mae said before she leaped up to stand on the backs of the seats where she continued to run.

"Step aside please. I'm a doctor." She said to the crowd. The crowd started to part and she saw Sara lying on the floor, her head cradled in an emergency medic's lap.

"Sara!" Mae bent down hurriedly and drew her alkahestry circle on the floor with practiced hands. "Set her down and exit the circle please." Mae looked at the medic with a serious expression

The medic nodded and did as she was told. "Be careful, I think she has a cracked skull."

Mae just nodded as she pressed her hands to the circle. Blue light filled the room momentarily and then it was gone.

"Sara!" Alphonse had finally managed to push back the crowd enough to see his niece lying on the floor. He dashed over, followed closely behind by Ed and Joshua who had managed to catch up.

"She'll be fine." Mae said with a sigh of relief.

"WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON THOSE TERRORISTS…" Ed ranted while shaking his fists in the air.

"We moved her into this car from the one just behind it because we needed to keep the aisle clear so we could put out the fires. The washroom car has a supply of water to do that." the medic said loudly enough to be heard over Ed's swearing.

"She was in the washroom? Was there another girl with her?" Joshua asked.

The medic shook her hear. "I didn't see anyone else in that car."

"… THEY'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO SIT AGAIN!"

"….Dad?" Sara whispered as she opened her eyes.

Ed stopped abruptly and knelt down next to Sara his fierce expression replace with concern. "I'm here. Are you in any pain?" He said.

"Not really…"

"What happened?"

"Charity and I were in the bathroom car and… a man started talking to us. Afterwards, we started to head back… I got hit really hard in the back of the head. I saw the man knock Charity out and carry her towards… the back of the train before I passed out…" Sara's eyes widened as the memory came back clearer. "He had a Drachman accent! I didn't think anything of it before. I assumed he was an immigrant, but…" Sara's eyes started to tear up. "It's my fault she's gone!"

"No it's not. We'll get her back, don't worry about it." Al said.

Mae looked at the medic. "How many others are injured in the next few cars?"

"I heard the count was at twenty. The other medics are down there now."

"Can you bring the injured into this car to I can heal them?"

"No, to prevent further injury we're trying to keep people from moving between cars, especially the injured. This girl was an exception."  
>Mae nodded and looked at Joshua. "I need to you stay here and keep an eye on Sara. I can't stay here if I'm going to heal everyone else. Alphonse and your father..."<p>

"No!" Sara interrupted. "I'll be fine now. You can leave me here. Go find Charity; she's the one who's really in trouble."

"Are you sure Sara?" Joshua said.

"Yeah. Just go, all of you." Sara looked at her older brother with determination and he nodded.

"All right." Joshua turned to follow everyone through the door to the next car. Everything had been happening so fast, that he didn't know what to think. _Why did they kidnap Charity? Sure she's related to Riza and that makes her indirectly related to Mustang, but it's still pretty distant, right? Sara would have been just as good a target since our family is pretty close to the Mustangs and we're pretty well known ourselves, but they just left her behind. Wouldn't it have made more sense to take them both? Something else is going on here, and I'm going to find out!_

"This is the last car!" Mae called out before going through a door. On the other side was sheer chaos. Tables had been overturned, spilling their contents all over the floor. People were huddled together nursing injuries or trying to put out lingering fires from the explosion earlier. A flustered looking security officer standing to the side directing the activity noticed them and walked over.

"You must be the Elric family. I'd heard you were on board. If you wouldn't mind, the blast from the bomb has made the back wall unstable, if you could repair it, I would be grateful."

"Of course." Al said as he clapped his hands together and touched the wall, repairing the damage.

"I'm going to take a look at the injured Alphonse." Mae said as she rushed over to the closest group of people.

"Tell us what happened." Ed said urgently.

"It was a group of Drachman men." A voice said from the corner nearby. Everyone turned to look at a conductor who was sitting in a nearby corner with a bandage around his leg.

"They didn't look suspicious so I didn't think anything of it. They'd all been sitting in the back. One of them had some sort of radio that started beeping and then all the others stood up and started shooting over the heads of the crowd. They ordered everyone to get down. A few headed back into the storage car, but most stayed here and kept everyone from leaving. I tried to grab my radio to call for backup, but I got shot in the leg and then they took it from me.

"Then the door opened and another one showed up with a girl flung over his shoulder. The men spoke in Drachman for a bit, and then they cleared the car. We sent for help as soon as they were gone, but then there was an explosion and the back car they'd been in had broken off. After that, it was all I could manage to keep order back here."

"Was the girl who was with them injured?" Alphonse asked.

"The hostage? She looked fine, but I didn't get a very good look. I don't know if she's still okay though."

_Charity… so she's still with them. _Joshua thought as he looked towards the back wall.

"Dammit!" Ed punched the wall while Mae and Al exchanged glances.

"How did they catch on so fast?" Al asked.

"We'll figure that out later. Right now we need to get her back before they get wherever they're going. Mustang trusted us with this." Ed stood up and looked as the security officer. "Stop the train."

* * *

><p><strong>* In <strong>_**Hearts**_** shooting the moon means getting all the points in that round. When that happens, everyone else gets 26 points while the person who shot the moon gets 0. The lowest score wins so it's a difficult, but useful strategy to give other people points.**

****Those familiar with the end of FMA will know that, to the main public, what happened on the Promised Day was covered up to a degree. The people were led to believe it was a military coup to overthrow Fuhrer etc. The Homunculus involvement was kept under wraps. To keep that knowledge from leaking, everyone that was involved directly hasn't told their kids about what really happened. This is why Joshua said coup. He has been taught what the general population knows to be a fact. In future chapters, this will become an issue.**


	6. In Which I Hear the Souls of the Dead

**OMG! O_O I am so sorry if took me so long to update! I got distracted over summer and then school started. University is eating me alive! DX It's been a crazy few months and I wish I could have updated sooner. I also had an awful case of writers block with a few of these scenes so I went on a reading streak to see how to improve my skills. Thank you to Sky65 and Daninuyasha for reviewing last chapter, and I hope you'll both stick with me. Just a note, the underlined stuff is spoken in the Drachman language unless it's also italicized, that's for the Truth's dialogue. The story is definitely going to be picking up from here on so tell me what I can do to improve it! Also, I was wondering if any of you were interested in me pairing Charity with anyone. I put a poll on my profile so please vote and leave a comment to tell me with who! Thank you all, and here's chapter six!**

_**Mommy!**_

_** Someone please… SAVE US!**_

_** It hurts….. oh it hurts! Please just kill me!**_

_**I… want to die…**_

_**Ivan… Stay close to me… mommy will hold you until it stops….**_

_**WHY?! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING!?**_

It's loud. I can hear cries of pain all around me, a vortex of suffering. It's so heavy I can feel the weight of it pressing in on me from all sides of my dark and hazy prison. I think I'm going to suffocate; I'll be crushed into oblivion. The agony of those cries seems to infect me so I can feel their pain too. It's so awful all I want to do is disappear. I want the voices to stop. I want to be anywhere but here, but, where am I? I can't think straight it's so loud. What…was I doing? Who am I? Does it matter?

"_Charity, you need to focus. Snap out of it or it'll get worse."_ The voice is familiar in an irritating way, but it's also faint in the cacophony.

_Leave me alone…_

"_Charity, don't ignore me. Our contract hasn't been finished yet. You have to live up to your end of the bargain._ The voice is stronger this time and more insistent.

…_Charity? _It's a familiar word, but I can't quite place it. Here in this vortex of pain, it should be meaningless; there is nothing more to my existence than the here and now. So why am I clinging to it like a life line?

_Who are you?_ I think.

_"Haven't we been through that conversation before? The question now is who are you?"_

I can hear the grin behind the voice and I suddenly remember a large white space and a solitary figure. _The Truth! _Suddenly I feel myself removed from the storm of painful cries. I'm standing in what I can only describe as the 'eye' of the storm. It's dark, and I can see the stream of angry red that is the storm swirling around me but not touching me.

"_Good, you're still somewhat functioning. It got pretty close there for a bit though. I had a hard time reaching you through all the interference."_

_Interference?_ I can feel the haze that's been surrounding me start to clear a little, but it's still hard to think.

"_Still asking dumb questions. Yes interference. You're a bit slower on the uptake than usual, but I suppose that's to be expected. What's your name?" _The voice sounded slightly annoyed, but I could still hear the grin behind it.

_Name… my name is… is…_Why is it so hard to think? I can definitely tell the haze is lifting the more I think, but it's not fast enough for my liking. _Charity…right?_ The moment I reclaim my identity, dozens of memories begin to flood back into my head and chase away the loud cries of pain that have been my prison. I remember now! I was on a train to Resembool and I was going to kick some guy's ass right before he knocked me out? Oh my gosh! SARA! IS SHE OKAY!? I'm gonna seriously trash that guy for jumping us and hurting her. Nobody messes with my friends! I haven't known her that long, but, in an upside down world this, I'll take what friends I can.

"_Yes, your name is Charity, and it looks like you're not fading away anymore. At least for now, but you aren't in any shape to be beating up anyone." _The Truth says wryly.

"_What happened? Where are we? This isn't your white space or Amestris." _I had a better question: where's the jerk who drugged me? I decided not to ask that one aloud although I'm pretty sure The Truth heard it too.

"_We are in your mind I suppose would be the easiest answer. You're unconscious and I contacted you here."_

"_You can do that!? Talk to me in my head?"_ I'd complain about privacy, but I'm clearly not in a position to think about that right now after needing to be saved…

"_No you're not in a position. It's because you have a strong connection to my space. There are other side-effect too, but you haven't noticed most of them."_Again with the mocking tone of voice spoken through a grin. Does she ever get tired of smiling?

"_What was that awful feeling from before that was making it hard to think? I could hear voices…"_

"_They are the souls of the damned, humans who have been absorbed by a philosopher's stone. It is a taboo that I cannot punish easily because it skirts around the laws of human transmutation. It is an abomination for such things to exist because they mock the law of equivalent exchange. I can hear the voices of those mortals' souls used for alchemy, and I must accept the payment despite that. That is the law._For once, I didn't hear a smile behind The Truth's reply.

"_That's awful! And I can hear them too?! Why?"_

"_Like I said before, you have a strong connection to my place because you are not of this world. I could sever that connection, but then you would never be able to return to Earth. You hear them because I hear them. Now, I've spoken with you long enough, you need to figure out what to do now that I've brought you back from oblivion. Don't forget our agreement, Charity." _I can feel the presence of The Truth fading.

"_Wait! What am I supposed to do? Can't you give me a hint or something!? I've been abducted for crying out loud! How do I get away?"_

"_It's not my position to give you the answers to your problems. You figure them out; that's how it's always been. Ask the Elric brothers…"_ With that I can feel The Truth's presence completely fade away.

Shortly afterwards, I am once again buffeted by the tempest of pain that I now know is a philosopher's stone. It takes me by surprise, but this time I know how to better deal with it. I start to concentrate on my sense of self, anything that separates "me" from "it". It's surprisingly difficult to do, but I manage to hold it as I feel myself being hurled through space towards awakening.

…

"Mae! You still have the trail, right?" Ed called as he ran through the underbrush in the forest.

"Yeah, but like I said earlier, it's really faint. These people know how to cover their tracks." Mae said as she stopped and bent to examine the ground.

"They're probably experienced mountain men. It'll be tough to find them, and, since its growing dark, that puts us that much more behind, especially if they keep moving at night. They have the advantage of not having to trace footprints in the dark." Al said as he stopped behind Mae. Thunder rumbled overhead. "Of course, all this is assuming the trail doesn't get washed away…"

"Dammit!" Ed shouted as lightning flashed overhead. It had taken a lot of persuasion to get the engineer to stop the train, and, by the time it _had_ finally stopped, they were a good hour long walk from the car that had been blown off. After picking up the trail there, they had been running most of the afternoon in hot pursuit, but they didn't seem to be getting any closer.

"Maybe they'll also stop for the night if it rains?" Josh said. "I mean, nobody just keeps walking out in the woods in the middle of a storm."

"Maybe, but we don't know for sure. Thank goodness Winry stayed with the rest of the kids on the train. She'll be able to report this once they pull into Resembool and then other people will be on the lookout too." Mae sighed. "We at least have the advantage of knowing they're from Drachma so we can tighten border security since they'll be heading north." She stood and pointed through the trees before taking off in a run. "They went this way." Everyone followed after her; it was a race against time.

…

I can feel something cold pressing on my back. I focus on that as my other senses start to come back to me. I'm lying on the ground and it's _really _cold outside. I shiver a little and, as my arms move, I can feel that my wrists are bound. By handcuffs I think. My head is pounding- a side-effect of whatever they drugged me with probably- and I muffle a groan. The last thing I want is for these guys to know I'm awake.

I try and focus more on my surroundings. It's always good to have situation awareness, that's what my karate teacher used to preach. I can smell fire and wet earth along with… coffee? I try to listen, but I can't distinguish voices with the cries from the philosopher's stone I decide to open my eyes a little. It's dark outside, but I can see the glow of a small fire about ten feet away. It has a tent structure over it that I guess (based on the rain smell) was meant to protect it from the weather. Gathered around it are about four really big men. I can hear others moving around in the distance.

_Great, so there's a lot of 'em… How am I going to get out of this?! _I test the binding on my wrists a little. The handcuffs are pretty tight, and the cold metal is uncomfortable on my skin. I glance down briefly to examine my bindings. They're decorated with red gems._ I've gotta be the most stylish captive for miles. My handcuffs have bling. I feel so special._ I think wryly as I glare at my cuffs. I know it isn't a good time for sarcasm, but that's always been my defense when things get tough so I can't help myself.

I bend closer discreetly to get a better look at the cuffs, hoping to find some clasp or weak point I can somehow exploit. Despite my best efforts, I come up with nothing and have to look away because I'm starting to feel sick. Something about those gems is creeping me out, but, with my head still foggy, I can't put my finger on it.

"So you're awake. I was beginning to think Viktor had been a little too rough on you." I jump at the heavily accented voice and whip my head up to see an older man standing practically right next to me.

_How did he get so close without me noticing!_ I just gape at him stupidly, not sure what to say. I hadn't intended to get noticed yet so I have no plan of action.

"Are you hungry?" He asks as he extends his hand toward me. He's holding a small loaf of bread. I just stare at it suspiciously and glare at him. I'm probably not very intimidating, but I don't feel like being friendly to someone who kidnapped me, besides, what if it's drugged or something?

"There's nothing wrong with it." He says as if he can read my mind. "You'll want to eat up since we don't want you to slow us down by someone carrying you. You need to walk on your own from here. Trekking through the forest is easier if you've eaten." He smiles at me and that just sets me off.

"You really think I'll just walk submissively with you bastards after you kidnapped me!? HELL NO! Where's the asshole that knocked me out and hurt Sara! I'm gonna make him regret that first kiss his dad gave his mom!" I start trying to struggle to my feet without using my hands, caution thrown to the wind. All of them probably already know I'm awake if this geezer knows. I try to scream in frustration as I feel strong hands pushing me back onto the ground, but another hand quickly covers my face and muffles my cries. These hands are strong and I can't fight back which pisses me off, and I start trying to kick and squirm hoping to shake the grip. I glare at the old man holding me down as he just looks at me with a tired expression. Old man be damned! This guy's tough!

I struggle in his grasp with everything I have, but I start to panic when I realize I'm not fazing him at all. Suddenly, I'm aware of that sensation of being able to feel my shadow again, only this time it's much more insistent and forceful. It pushes against my will so aggressively that, unable to stop myself, I give in without hesitation.

I feel a wave of energy run through my body and my senses heighten. Smells become more intense, it's not as dark outside, and I can feel the pine needles on the ground digging into my back. My vision divides so that I can see both the forest and a giant eye suspended in a black space at the same time. I barely have time to realize it's the same eye I see in opened alchemy gates when my head explodes in pain and all these new sensations are forcibly shut down as I hear an explosion of voices in my head again.

_**You're monsters, all of you!**_

_**May God send you bastards to hell for this!**_

_**I was loyal to Drachma my whole life! Why Lord Czar, why!?**_

I'm stunned and left completely devoid of strength as I go limp in Old Man's arms, my ears ringing. My stomach churns and I resist the urge to vomit as I pant on the ground covered in sweat. Old Man is looking at me, but I can't make out his expression as spots dance across my vision and my head spins. It feels like the handcuffs on my wrists are burning. He lets me go, but keeps his hand over my mouth in case I try and scream again. That's the last thing on my mind right now though. _What on Earth just _happened_?!_ I think as I stifle a groan. It feels like I have a really bad case of the flu.

"Miss Evans," he sighs, "It would be better for you if you just cooperate with us until we reach Drachma. It's a hard trip, and we need to bring you in alive."

Despite my current pitiful state, the word Drachma gets my attention and I snap my head around to look at him. I've been abducted by _evil _Canadians, that's great, just great. F my life. This world sucks. _Charity, you idiot, these guys are not Canadians! Stop making that comparison; it's not fair to _real_ Canadians who are good people!_ Despite my panic, I manage to hear a chuckle a few feet away which pisses me off again. What about this situation is even remotely funny?

"Looks like we got a live one this time!" The voice is guttural and I have a hard time understanding what he's saying at first, but it gets better as he continues. "It's been awhile since we had one of those since usually they just give up once we catch 'em. Must be a perk of her not knowing who we are, she's not scared of our reputation."

I frown and glare at this new person. He's beefy in a muscular way. He has a thick beard and is wearing a beaver hat. _How lame…_ By this time, Old Man has removed his hand from my mouth so I can speak. I am beyond pissed right now so I throw caution to the wind with what I say next.

"Should I be scared of you? The way I see it, you guys jumped me from behind and took me by surprise. That's pretty cowardly. I'm not scared of cowards, I pity them." I hiss. I probably shouldn't be saying things to provoke these men, but I could really care less. I've never been good at staying quiet when I should.

The man looks at me with surprise. "You can understand me?" he asks.

"Of course I can dumbass! Why wouldn't I be able to? I'm not stupid!" I glare at him as he gapes at me. I feel a bit of satisfaction at his stunned expression.

"That's enough Boris, don't provoke her or she'll be even more of a pain in the ass to drag through the mountains, and you'll be the one that gets to carry her. It didn't take much effort to get down here, but lugging her back up in secret will make the return journey pretty long. Surly you don't want to carry her all the way?" A new voice said as a looming figure approached. He was hidden by the shadows cast by the campfire, but his silhouette suggested a muscular and sturdy build. "But this is certainly a surprise, the client never said our Amestrian target would be fluent in Drachman. Not even a hint of an accent! Tell me girl, have you spent time in Drachma before? Are you a spy of some kind?" The new man asked me as he burst into laughter. The other men chuckled in the background.

_Fluent in Drachman? What's this guy talking…. Oh. _This must be like how I couldn't understand anyone when I first got here, except apparently I'm picking up stuff faster now. _Is that a good thing of a bad thing?_ I think wryly as I eye this new man warily. He's clearly a big shot since everyone else follows his lead.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway, privacy of the client and everything. We don't press a live target for information. That's a rule mind you." He said to me with a serious expression on his face now. _Live target!?Was that meant to be reassuring!? _

"Well anyway, welcome to our 'guild' Miss Evans. We are known as The Hunters. It's not too flashy of a name; our previous leader came up with it. We're bounty hunters, and damn good ones I might add. Not everyone's here for this job, but you'll meet a few before we get to Drachma. You'll be our guest until then so you might as well know some names. It's not like we'll be able to hide that information from you if you understand Drachman!" The man jokes again and starts laughing. It's a deep, throaty chuckle.

I watch him with discomfort. I've decided a few things about him: he likes to talk a lot, he has an odd sense of humor, and he seems to be cheerful despite being one of the bad guys who kidnapped me. He's laughing like this whole thing is some kind of game! _What's with this guy?_ I think nervously. Despite how he seems to act, I still feel threatened by him. No doubt he's tough if he's the boss.

"Anyway," he interrupts my thoughts with his next words. "I am Makar Slovik, the captain. You've already met Yuri," the new man said as he gestured to Old Man. "and you've just met Boris here." He gestured to Beaver Hat.

"I told you not to call me that! My last name's better, so call me Azarov" Beaver Hat grumbled.

Captain Slovik continued as if he hadn't heard. "And we also have Mark, Leonid, and Robert sitting around the fire next to Boris. Irina is scouting ahead, and I suppose you also met Viktor, but he's also not here right now. Backtracking in the woods to shake pursuit is one of his strong suites. So, why don't you tell us about yourself a little?"

Not willing to be civil with these creeps and introduce myself, I don't respond and scowl into darkness. Something about what he said _did _pique my interest though. _Backtracking….does that mean they're worried someone's coming after me?_ I think to myself. I knew that the Elrics were pretty well known for their involvement in whatever military coup happened twenty years ago, but can they track someone through the woods? _They must have something about them that makes this guy nervous enough to take these precautions…_ I can feel hope rising in me, but I shut it down just as quickly. _Whether help is coming or not, waiting for it won't do me any good. I need to figure out how to get away on my own. _I decide while I turn my gaze to glare at Captain Slovik. Damsel in distress is _not_ what I want to be categorized as.

Captain Slovik sighs when I don't respond and stretches his arms over his head. "You should eat that bread Yuri tried to give you. There's nothing wrong with it, and we're leaving as soon a Viktor gets back. There's gonna be some tough hiking over those mountains, and we won't stop to rest or eat until noon tomorrow. You'll be even more miserable when you're hungry if you don't eat now." He says as he turns his back on me and walks to the campfire where he pours himself a cup of coffee.

Yuri takes his queue and bends down to offer me the piece of bread again. To my horror, my stomach growls once I smell it. I haven't eaten anything since I left the Mustang's mansion with the Elrics early this morning. Yuri smiles at me knowingly and I find myself grateful for the dark since I know I'm turning red in embarrassment. I grudgingly take the offered bread and Yuri nods his head approvingly as he gets up and walks towards the campfire.

I just sit there for a while, holding the bread in my hands but not taking a bite. For some reason, prolonging eating it makes me feel like I'm defying them. It's a really poor rebellion strategy, but I don't really have any options right now. Finally, I decide to just eat it. _If I keep up my strength, I may be able to figure a way out of this_. I reason to myself as I take a bite after making sure none of them are watching me. It tastes like rye bread which is easily the most disgusting bread out there, but I eat it anyway.

After gagging the last bite down a curl up in a sitting position and watch the men around the fire. I suppose at least these guys are classy in ways most kidnappers I've read about in the news aren't so there's a small glimmer of good fortune on my part. Living in L.A, I've always been cautioned about strangers, and I've read my fair share of grisly kidnappings in the papers. Most people are found dead after being tortured or worse. These guys were feeding me and making really bad jokes. Granted, that Viktor guy may have seriously hurt Sara, and, noticing how they all have guns, I'm pretty sure I'm the only person they've been somewhat gentle with. _Probably because I'm a _live target _whatever that means. I've only been here about two weeks and I'm apparently already on Drachma's Most Wanted list. _

I focus my gaze on Captain Slovik. He has a pair of twin swords strapped to his back and guns on his left and right hip. He's laughing at some joke someone made right now, but I can just tell he's more dangerous then he lets on. It must be his posture; it's one of someone who's ready to jump into action. Kind of like a lion ready to pounce. If I'm going to be able to escape, I need to make sure it's not when he's around, or I have to knock him out somehow by surprise. That's really the only advantage I have here. Surprise and stealth. This is one situation where barreling through will get me seriously injured. I need to be calculated with this. _Perhaps if I can somehow get a hold of a gun…_ I doubt I'd be able to use it, but my threat points might go up if I have a gun… maybe.

I hear a rustle in the bushes and my attention shifts from Captain Slovik to the source of the noise. Everyone else around me follows suite, some reaching for various weapons. It's still too dark to make out anything more than the silhouette, but the voice confirms who it is and everyone around the campfire relaxes. I feel myself tense up; I would recognize that voice anywhere.

"I ran back about a good two hours walk from here and made sure the trail was erased. I'd be surprised if anyone can follow us now. With the rain and dark on top of my cover-up, even a master tracker would have a rough time. We should get going though, I'm pretty sure the military has already been informed. They'll be looking around this area quite thoroughly first thing tomorrow." Viktor says in Drachman as he walks up to the fire and bends down to extend his hands over the small flame.

"Don't be too worried about that. Irina's one of the best scouts I've ever met. She won't let us run into any Amestrian search party." Captain Slovik says as he claps Viktor on the back with a chuckle. "You really are too uptight. You'll die young from the stress worrying about so much stuff."

"Captain, I'm pretty sure it's the opposite. 'Worrying' about stuff keeps you alive… Ain't that right Viktor?" Leonid laughs as he nudges Viktor in the ribs playfully.

"Sometimes I'm convinced none of you guys take this as seriously as me… We're in enemy country, far from the border, and we just kidnapped someone related to the Fuhrer. We need to take every precaution we can." Viktor replies with chagrin. Then he shoots a look in my direction and says, "How is the prisoner doing? Is she going to be able to walk?" He said it in Drachman, no doubt believing I couldn't understand him. _What an idiot._ I think as I meet his eyes with my own leveled stare, trying to burn holes in his head.

"Why don't you ask her for yourself?" Captain Slovik said in Amestrian as a few others around the fire chuckled. Viktor tears his gaze from mine and frowns.

"I doubt she wants to talk to me. Besides, I'd prefer to have as little to do with her as possible. This whole thing is a big waste of time."

For some reason, that statement rubs me the wrong way. I narrow my eyes and glare at his back. This guy's an arrogant jerk,I can already tell. He reminds me of that kid I beat up in middle school for telling me my mom was a murderer and deserved to be put down because she was a danger to society. _What was his name, Jeremy….Something? Jeremy…. Locust?...Lodestar?...Lockbar?_ Whatever, it doesn't matter what his name was, he was an insect that deserved to be stepped on, and this guy's no different.

He still has his back turned to me as he says, "The only even remotely challenging part in this whole thing was taking out the spare she was with without attracting attention."

My vision goes red as I jump to my feet and run towards him screaming, "HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT MY FRIEND SO CASUALLY! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!?"

"You can understand…" He doesn't finish his sentence as he turns to look at me with an expression I would find hilarious if I wasn't so pissed. I hear leaves crack underfoot as Leonid and Mark try to get between me Viktor. They must see the murder in my eyes because their hands reach for their guns with uncertainty.

I don't even slow down as I do a handspring and my feet connect with Mark's face. He swears as he staggers backwards clutching his nose. It's at about this time that I recall I'm still handcuffed. _Guess this will have to be mostly kicks…_ Not missing a beat, I swivel to the side and land on my feet. Then, shifting my weight, I plant a high, jumping kick that connects with Leonid's chest and knocks him back a few feet. With my hands bound, I almost lose my balance so I have to quickly steady myself. I glare at Viktor; there's nothing between us now.

I prepare to plant my knee in his stomach when something wraps around my legs from behind and pulls them out from under me, sending me sprawling on the ground. My vision goes fuzzy for a moment, and I feel dizzy as I struggle desparately to get my hands underneath me to push myself up. Before I have a chance to stand, a foot lands on my back and forces me to the ground again, knocking the wind out of me. At the same time, something wraps around my wrists and pulls my hands up in the air and behind my head so that I can't get any leverage. I wince at the strain on my shoulders. I'm effectively pinned.

"My, my. What's this? I'm gone for barely two hours scouting the forest, and I come back to find you guys getting jumped by the prisoner? I think I already like this girl. She's got spirit!" A female voice chuckles from above me in a playful manner. "Leo, honey, are you okay? I saw that rather impressive kick knock you back a bit. Did it leave a bruise? " She says without abandoning her mocking and playful tone.

"Leonid, you just got schooled by a teenager in front of your wife. What do you have to say for yourself?" Robert laughs as he helps Mark, whose nose is bleeding, to his feet.

"Shut up Rob!" Leonid hisses as he adjusts his shirt and winces. "Damn! That was quite a kick; I'd like to see you take one Rob. Then you'd shut up."

"Think I'll pass. It's a good think you took her by surprise Viktor. She'd have kicked your ass." Robert says as he howls in laughter and is joined by Boris. Viktor just scowls and looks at me with an unreadable look in his sharp eyes. "Irina! Perfect timing! What's the forest look like up ahead? When's the soonest we have to worry about the military?" Captain Slovik says cheerfully as if nothing out of the ordinary happened.

"Eh?" Irina says as she leans forward and puts more weight on the foot that's holding me pinned. She adjusts her grip on what I have now identified as a whip so that my hands are kept firmly behind me head as she speaks. "It's clear. I'd say the soonest we'd have to worry about any military bums would be three days. If we play the terrain right, and don't have any mishaps, we may be able to avoid them altogether. Of course, when I say mishaps, that includes this kid getting the jump on you guys." She sniffs and continues, "But we shouldn't let our guard down. Underestimating the Amestrians got us in trouble twenty years ago when Drachma went for Fort Briggs and got slaughtered."

While all this is going on, Viktor's regarding me with a serious expression while Yuri is giving me a thoughtful look and stroking his sideburns. I just glare at them both while trying to look as dignified as I can under someone's foot. This is humiliating.

"Well, that's good. We'll head out now so we can stay ahead of the game. Boris,"

"Azarov!" Boris shouts.

"See if you can use that med-kit of yours to patch up Mark so he doesn't bleed all over the trail. His nose might be broken. Yuri, bring me that spare rope you keep in your bag. We'll need to tie Miss Evans up so she doesn't pull anything else. Everyone else, start packing up."

"Wait a minute! If she needs to be tied up, she won't be able to walk, she'll slow us down. Who's going to carry her?" Viktor asks

"Don't look at me, I've got enough bruises." Leonid says as he raises his hands up to the sides of his head in surrender while Yuri walks past him to hand a rope to the Captain.

"That's an easy question. You are Viktor. She obviously likes you the most and you were complaining this job was easy and beneath our talents." Captain Slovik replies as he takes the rope from Yuri and steps towards me and Irina.

"I'll play doctor for you Leo." Irina says. She loosens her whip's grip on my hands as she steps off of me to get out of the Captain's way and approaches Leonid with a pouty expression on her face. She places her hand on his chest gently and stands up on her toes to kiss him. I resist the urge to gag.

"Easy you two, we're leaving in about ten minutes, and there are kids around." The Captain jokes as he holds me down and ties my feet together. I don't bother to resist. I'm still trying to catch my breath, and, since I'm pretty sure my fall bruised a few ribs, that isn't an easy task.

"Off course. It'll just be a quick patch-up. Come on Leo, I left my bandages in my bag. You'll be in top form in no time at all." Irina takes Leonid's hand and they both walk to the edge of camp where a pile of bags and camping gear sit.

"That was quite a feat you pulled tonight Miss Charity. We underestimated you quite a bit. Are you sure you're not a spy? Perhaps you were a Drachman spy that went native here in Amestris? You're as vicious as one, that's for sure." Captain Slovik chuckles as he tightens the knots so they won't come loose. Once he's done, he stands and, looking at Viktor, inclines his head in my direction before walking away to supervise the rest of the make-shift camp's packing.

Viktor and I stay where he left us in silence for quite some time. I'm glaring at him, and he's just giving me this thoughtful expression that's making me feel really uncomfortable. I refuse to drop my gaze though, that would feel like admitting defeat, and I want this guy to know that this isn't over. I still hate him. I unconsciously begin to work my hands in and out of fists in my handcuffs. The cuffs got hot again during the fight after I got pinned, and I'm not sure what that means, but I have this feeling that I need to figure it out if I want to get away. It sounds crazy, I know.

After considering me in silence for a while longer, Viktor says, "You better not cause any more trouble or we'll have to use drastic measures to keep you in line. You're our prisoner now; any life you had before you might as well forget about. You're going to Drachma now, and there's nothing you can change about that. Don't make this harder than it has to be."

I just lay there and gape at him unable to think of anything to say. _Is this guy for _real_!?He honestly thinks that'll make me cooperate? Is he stupid?!_ Taking my silence as acceptance, Viktor steps forward and, before I have a chance to retaliate, scoops me up and over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I can't suppress the groan that escapes my lips as my ribs burn in protest.

"That's better." He says while walking over to the others who are lining up to head out.

"In your dreams." I hiss. "I'll get away and then you guys will spend the rest of your lives in an Amestrian prison. You'll never see Drachma again!"

"Unfortunately for you Miss Evans, it's you that will never see Amestris again." He sighs wearily and I'm left to contemplate how inevitable his words sound.

_I need to get away or I'll never find dad and I won't see mom or home ever again._ I feel tears sting my eyes and blink them back. _I will get away. I swear on my life I will!_


	7. In Which I Poke a Bear

**Yay! I updated sooner! Sorry for the wait. Finals week was murder and then I was hanging out with family during break so I didn't have the opportunity to write a lot. Thank you to all the people who reviewed my last chapter, and I'll hope you'll all stay with me! I live off reviews so if you review, I'll do my best to update sooner. Again, the underlined stuff is said in Drachman. I hope you all like the newest chapter, and I look forward to posting the next one. So here's chapter 7! ;)**

Roy Mustang sat at his desk in Central and sighed. It had been an interesting week with Charity and the Elrics staying with him and his family. The mansion had been a lot rowdier with the number of kids running around, but he was glad that Rebecca had been able to play with Yue again. For the most part, everything had gone smoothly. There had been a few slips on Charity's part about where she was from, but he figured she'd get the hang of it. She was a smart kid and she fit in well with the rest of them. She wouldn't have any trouble.

After seeing them all off at the train station that morning, he'd returned to his normal schedule. Unfortunately for him, he'd put off his paperwork under the guise of enjoying a mini "family" reunion, and now it was piled up on his desk so high he couldn't see over the edge.

"Riza, remind me why I wanted to be Fuhrer again. I can't see the reason beyond all this paperwork."

"You wanted to change the dynamic of this country into a democracy to prevent the corruption of the military from destroying the lives of the citizens, Sir."

"That's right…" He laughed as he signed a document from the Parliament and put it in the "done" pile.

"You shouldn't have put this off over the week. Then it wouldn't be this bad." Riza scolded. "Now you'll be up late working on this for the next few days."

"Yeah, but you have to admit you wanted to spend time with them too. They don't come up to Central very often anymore. It makes me feel old to see the squirt with a family of his own."

Riza smiled as she looked over the papers on her clipboard. "I'm glad to see they're doing well. It's always fun to watch kids grow into adults. They haven't really changed much though. Now, no more talking, you need to focus. Those papers won't sign themselves. It was a good attempt at a distraction though."

"This is why you're my personal assistant." He laughed.

Just then, a knock at the door sounded and Luna, the secretary, poked her head in. "Fuhrer Mustang, there's a call for you on line one. It's urgent the caller says."

"Who is it?" He asked as he reached for the phone sitting on his desk.

"Winry Elric."

Mustang and Riza exchanged glances as Luna left the room.

"What do you suppose…? There's no way they're in Resembool yet." Riza said with a worried expression.

"I'll put it on speaker." Mustang said as he picked up the phone and set it on the desk after pushing the speaker button. "Winry? What's going on? Where are you?"

"Mustang! Oh thank goodness I got through before the rush! The train was attacked by some men from Drachma and they kidnapped Charity. Ed, Al, Mae, and Joshua went after them after they got the train to stop, but not before they told me what happened. I don't know where any of them are!" She sounded hysterical despite her attempts to keep her voice steady. "I got off first station I could to call you so I have no idea where I am right now. I have Sara and Yue with me and…!"

"Winry, you need to calm down. Check the signs around the station. They should have the name of the town you're in. We need a location to send a search party." Riza said in a calming voice despite the deep scowl on her face.

"Ummm…. Parlin. We're in Parlin. It happened in the forest stretch between Central and Parlin."

"Can you tell us exactly what happened?" Riza said again.

"Sara… what…?" They heard a rustling noise over the phone.

"I can take care of this part mom, I was there for part of it. You need to sit down you don't look so good. Mr. Mustang? You're still there, right?"

"Sara, tell us what happened." Mustang said.

"Charity and I were heading to the bathroom and we met this guy in the cart. He said his name was Viktor, and he had a Drachman accent, but I didn't think much of it because he seemed nice and it's not like immigrants from Drachma don't exist. We talked for a bit and then, when Charity and I were leaving, he hit me on the head pretty hard and knocked me out. Then, we figure he grabbed Charity and made his way to the back car with all his terrorist buddies. They were all armed and took the whole dining car hostage before blowing off the storage car and escaping into the woods. As far as I know, nobody was seriously hurt.

"The explosion brought Dad, Uncle Al, Aunt Mae and Josh up and they got the story from the people in the dining car. Mom came up after that and they told her and me what happened. Then, they talked to some people before they finally convinced the engineers to stop the train, and, after that, they all took off after the Drachmans to get Charity back. I wanted to go with them, but apparently a head injury was enough for Dad to say 'no'. Damn hypocrite. Josh got to go. Mom stayed back to take care of Yue and I, and to get you the message. So yeah… that's the situation." Sara said with a shaky voice.

Mustang and Riza were silent. Neither knew what to say. This day had suddenly gotten a lot more interesting.

"Hello?" Sara said.

"Sorry, are you sure nobody was seriously injured?" Mustang asked.

"Yeah, the worst of the injuries were taken care of by Aunt Mae before she left. A few people were shot, and I had a concussion, but everyone's fine for the most part now I think."

"Thank you for telling us. You need to get on the next train heading out to Resembool and stay there. We'll send out the military to track everyone down. Can we talk to your mom again?" Riza said.

"Yeah…Mom, it's for you."

"Roy, Riza?" Winry said after her daughter handed her the phone.

"Winry, take Sara and Yue home. We'll get this sorted out and keep you updated, okay? Everything will be fine." Riza said.

"Alright." Winry took a deep breath over the phone before she continued. "Please be careful, I have a bad feeling about all of this."

"You be careful too. Bye." Mustang said.

"Bye." The phone went silent, but another knock on the door interrupted the already tense atmosphere.

"What?!" Mustang shouted before he could help himself.

"Sir," Luna came in with a panicked expression. Shouting could be heard in the hallway behind her. "Reports are coming in about a Drachman attack on an eastbound train! The phone lines are swamped with calls."

"Yes, I already know all the details. Thank you Luna, you handle them. I don't want to be disturbed for a few minutes."

"Okay" she said before she ran out of the room.

"Dammit! How the hell did they get wind of this?" Mustang said as he banged his fist on the table, causing a few paper piles to fall to the floor. He pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to calm himself.

"Maybe they did it because they believed she's related to us…" Riza said with a doubtful expression. "I don't like to think that a spy got the information about Charity to Drachma, but that seems the more likely reason. You do know what this means though?"

"Yes. Whatever their reason for taking her, once word gets out that they were from Drachma, the people are going to be in a state of panic. This is bad. A Drachman attack on Amestrian soil? Such a thing is unheard of. On top of that, the citizens will think that someone related to us was taken hostage! Whether it was an independent group of people or the Drachman military, the people are going to see it as an act of war. Dammit! A war with Drachma is not what we need right now!"

Riza bit her lip and looked down at Mustang. "Roy, what do you propose we do right now? We'll just have to take this one step at a time, starting with Charity being kidnapped."

Roy took a deep breath to calm himself before he stood from his desk and straightened his uniform. After his outburst earlier, he needed to collect his thoughts. He needed to keep a calm front for the people regardless of his personal feelings. He was their leader, and they were all going to be looking to him. "Simple, we start by sending out a search party to track down these terrorists and assist the Elrics. We'll send reinforcements to the border at the same time…" He said as he walked out of the office into the hallway filled with people trying to organize themselves with the rush of information that was pouring in. "Luna!"

"Yes Sir!" Luna stood from her desk and saluted.

"Connect me with Brigadier General Armstrong in Fort Briggs. Riza, I need you to organize the search party. Havoc!"

"Yes Sir!" the women said as they jumped into their given tasks.

"Yes Sir?" Havoc asked as he walked up to Mustang.

"I'm putting you on the search party. I need someone looking for Charity that I know I can trust, and you know the situation. Tell Riza to make you leader."

"Yes Sir!" Havoc grinned and saluted before he ran to catch up with Riza's retreating figure.

"Fuhrer, there are news reporters requesting a statement. How do you want to respond?"

"Tell them I will be with them after I contact Fort Briggs. Let them know that we are handling things accordingly and that the people are not in any immediate danger."

"Sir, Brigadier General Armstrong is on the line." Luna said as she held out the phone.

"Excellent." Mustang said as he put the phone up to his ear to talk. "Brigadier General Armstrong? This is Fuhrer Roy Mustang…."

…

When Captain Slovik said we wouldn't stop until noon he wasn't kidding. I glance at the sky to see the sun slowly make its way across the blue expanse. I can't even tell there was a storm last night. The heat from the sun has already dried up most of the water left by the rain, and my clothes are no exception thank goodness.

It was miserable the first few hours of travel as it drizzled. I was cold and wet, and being carried like a sack of potatoes had left an awful rash where my wet clothes rubbed against my skin. I did take some comfort knowing that Viktor was experiencing the same problem on his shoulder though. He had switched shoulders a few times to minimize the discomfort, but I could see it in his face. Bastard deserved whatever came to him.

According to Yuri most of the storm had actually occurred while I was unconscious so I missed it. He told me that was why they had made up a camp in the first place. I had already figured that it had rained because of the wet earth smell, but, in all the excitement after I had woken up, I hadn't noticed I was a little bit damp. I hadn't been soaked though so apparently someone had taken it upon themselves to keep me somewhat dry for the worst of it. I'll admit I was grateful for that (otherwise I would have been even more miserable), but that didn't make me like these people. They were still bad guys.

Despite the thoughtful gesture or whatever it was, I guess that thought didn't apply to a drizzle since nobody bothered to give me a poncho or something then. To be fair though, none of them wore any rain gear so it wasn't like I was being deprived. These people just have a screwed up perception of decent and awful weather. _Drachman weather must really suck._ I think as I sigh and bring my hands up to support my chin, my elbows propped up on Viktor's back. _They have really bad weather perception and impressive tenacity._

We've been traveling quite a few hours now, and none of these guys are showing any signs of exhaustion. It's incredible. I've run over the numbers in my head a bit and I would estimate we left that make shift camp around seven hours ago, and these guys are still marching at the same pace we started, even Viktor who's been carrying me this whole time! I'm not heavy, but I'm seriously starting to wonder what kind of steroids these guys take. _Or maybe Drachma is just a country of seriously buff Energizer bunnies_. I give as an afterthought.

I go back to my time estimates. Hopefully I can estimate how far we've traveled if I keep track of our speed and our time. It's about ten in the morning right now, but I'm not sure since my watch was taken away from me. That means that we left camp around three in the morning. I was kidnapped around four in the afternoon so I have about eleven blank hours. Not a good sign. I frown at a tree as we pass it. I don't know how long we were stopped at that camp, but either way, that's a long gap for me. I don't like not knowing how far I was from the tracks when I woke up. They probably kept me out that long for that reason though. Even if these guys underestimate me a bit, they don't take any chances in making sure I have no bearings in these woods. It's extremely aggravating.

I stare at the ground with an absent expression. There are footprints being left behind because of the mud, but that doesn't make me feel any better. I know that Leonid is trailing the group covering up tracks. Viktor's the best, but I guess Leonid isn't far behind him in skill. _The odds are really stacked against me_. I purse my lips at the thought. Just when I think that I'm in a good position to find my dad and get out of this screwy dimension some bastards pull the rug out from under me. _Should have figured something like this would happen. The Truth never said this would be easy. Actually, she probably hinted at the opposite somehow, I just missed that part._

All of these things are bothering me, but they aren't my most pressing issue. I remove my hands from my face and examine my handcuffs. While we've been traveling, I've been thinking about my crazy idea that I can feel my shadow. This weird feeling has been happening on occasion ever since I got here, but I haven't really dwelled on it too much. With the stress of playing a role, getting accustomed to things in Amestris, and recovering in the hospital I've been pretty occupied. Not to mention that awful meeting with The Truth when I first got here. Needless to say, I haven't really had the down time to think about crazy impressions. However, after that bizarre experience back at the camp, this matter has been pressed to the front of my mind.

I know for a fact that something happened there when I actually reached out to the feeling. More like the feeling forced itself on me, but still. I've never felt more aware of my surroundings or more… powerful? Maybe that's the right word despite my reservations in using it. However, that feeling only lasted a second before that awful pain was everywhere. I shiver at the memory. I never want to experience _that_ again.

Now that I'm actually putting thought into this whole thing, I realize that I've actually felt this before. Not the pain, but the bizarre energy boost. I vaguely recall something occurring in the hospital that sparked it, but most of the memory is fuzzy and distant. I remember meeting the Elric brothers and then…nothing until I woke up tied down to my hospital bed. At the time I just figured I'd passed out, but everyone said that I'd had a panic attack. Looking back, I'm pretty sure that wasn't quite what happened. Despite the similar feelings, I'm pretty sure that I would have remembered the pain since that's what I remember most from the incident back at camp. So that means the pain is new.

I let out a sigh of frustration and glare at the cuffs. I'm pretty sure that these are the culprits behind the pain. Call it a crazy person's intuition. Of course, that's not the only reason I'm blaming the cuffs, I have other reasons too. Reason two; they got hot when that whole escapade at camp happened. Reason three; ever since they've been on, I haven't been able to see any alchemy doors. Reason four; they just give me this really sick feeling every time I look at them. Reason five; even as I'm listing my other reasons I don't trust them, I can hear the pained voices in my head rising in volume.

I tear my gaze away from the handcuffs and picture my family to distract myself. My head is pounding, but the voices fade away to a dull whisper. _Yep, those definitely need to go as soon as possible._ I glance at the cuffs again. I'm pretty sure that, although I've never seen one before, the stones imbedded in the metal are philosopher's stones. I would have guessed human souls would be blue, but red works too I guess. _I wonder how many people died to make these awful things?_ A flash of anger runs through my system at whatever sick bastard made them.

"_They need to be punished_."

I reel back in shock as that sentence echoes in my head. It didn't sound like The Truth. Actually, it sounded a bit like me, but I have no idea where the thought came from. I cover my eyes with my hands and take a deep breath. That shadow feeling is back, and I can feel the metal around my wrists heat up almost in warning.

"_There are other side-effects too, but you haven't noticed most of them." _The Truth said that when I was trapped in the philosopher's stone vortex of pain. _Dammit._ Something tells me I'm not going to like those side-effects.

_Damn Truth speaking in damn riddles won't give me a damn straight answer!_ I swear. Once I find my family, I am leaving this place and _never_ coming back. I want nothing do to with The Truth and this crazy dimension again. Yes, I've met some good people here, but this whole thing is completely out of my comfort zone.

I'm brought out of my pity party by Viktor, who roughly switches me onto his other shoulder. I wince and bite back a hiss as my bruised ribs protest the sudden motion. _Yeah, getting carried by a hulking lout through the forest is _definitely _out of my comfort zone._ I snidely comment to myself. Suddenly, an idea pops into my head and I grin. Well, there's no reason I should be the only miserable one here, so I decide to break the silence between us with one of the worst questions known to traveling people.

"Are we there yet?" I whine as I do my best pouty face. I know he can't see it, but it helps me get into character. Whiney baby, I can do that.

Viktor doesn't respond and just keeps walking. I frown and his obvious attempt to ignore me. _Trust me buddy, I'm just as unhappy with our current situation._

"Seriously Viktor, are we there yet? I'm hungry and all wet and I think I have a sore on my stomach from being carried. When are we going to stop?" I whine again with more insistence. All of this is true, but I don't really care about it that much. I just want to annoy him.

He just grunts and adjusts me a bit so I'm even more uncomfortable. _Bastard._

"Hey, don't do that! I have a bruise `there from when Irina made me fall down. It hurts." I pretend to sniffle a bit. _Why did I never take a theatre class?_

He just keeps walking in silence, completely unaffected by my words. This annoys me, and my already low tolerance of this guy sets me over the edge.

"Dammit! I don't care if you hate me and think I'm a waste of time; I won't be ignored by stupid bastards like you! If you think you can just brush me off then you've got another thing coming!" I snarl as I swing my bound hands into the back of his head. It's an awkward hit, but its revenge for Sara.

This catches his attention as he stumbles forward a bit and drops me as he tries to catch himself. I land on my butt in the foliage and feel relief at my soft landing. Thank goodness I won't be adding another bruise to my collection.

"Are you sure you're a Hunter or whatever? You're pretty clumsy if you dropped your _live target_."

"Shut up! Stop talking to me! I don't want to listen to you!" He snaps as he walks up to me to lift me back up on his shoulders. I don't waste any time and aim a kick at his knees. My legs may be tied, but that doesn't mean they're totally useless. He backs up before I make contact unfortunately. Maybe I should bait him more so he gets closer…

"Clearly whoever taught you skimped a bit on your education. Maybe you should go back to mountain man school and learn how to do your job properly. That's assuming the Amestris military doesn't find us and kick your sorry ass. Your parents would be so proud." I yell at him.

I seem to have hit a nerve because his glare becomes a full out snarl and his face is turning a nasty shade of red. Maybe this was a bad idea…

"How dare you say that! You have no clue what you're talking about! You can insult me all you like, but NEVER insult Yuri! You're just a soft, weak Amestrian with no idea how unforgiving the real world is! You're high society so you've been raised first class your whole life, and you have no idea how hard life can get. I don't want to hear any more from you!" He shouts.

This guy is seriously blowing a gasket. _I wonder what it was I said?_ As he glares down at me with his intense blue eyes, I feel myself shift uncomfortably. I glance down to avoid his gaze and my eyes widen. His hands are shaking, but he's gipping a rather large knife in each one. _When did he pull those out?! He wouldn't…right?_

"Viktor!" an angry shout draws both of our attention from each other as Yuri appears in-between us. The old man slaps Viktor in the face harshly. "Put that away! We NEVER raise our weapons out of anger! You know better than that!"

"But she…!"

"It doesn't matter what she said!"

Viktor clenches his fists and closes his eyes. He has an angry red mark on one cheek that must be stinging. He takes a few deep breaths before he opens them again. He still looks pissed, but he doesn't say anything.

Yuri turns to me, but, since I'm staring at Viktor in shock, I don't notice until I feel a slap across my own cheek. Stars explode behind my eyes and my cheek stings. When my vision clears a second later I look at Yuri with wide eyes. He's frowning at me, but he doesn't look angry. It's more of a disappointed frown.

"Miss Charity, we don't want to make this difficult, but if you don't stay in line it will be. You're our prisoner now, and, as long as that is true, you _will_ show respect. What you're doing needs to stop now. Provoking people like you have been isn't a good idea."

_No kidding. They pull knives on you!_ I don't respond with anything more than a nod as I look down at my feet so they don't see the tears stinging my eyes. There's a really strained silence between all of us. I bite my lip and close my eyes to concentrate. Apparently my emotional state is effecting my ability to shut out the voices because they're really loud, and my vision is blurring. _Damn handcuffs._

Yuri sighs, breaking the tense atmosphere, and says, "Viktor, go help Leo backtrack. I'll keep an eye on her for a while."

"Yes sir." Viktor says as he turns and walks away.

Once the trees hide the younger man from view, Yuri squats down on the ground and reaches for my ankles. I watch in shock as he unties the knots around them with practiced hands.

"What are you doing?" I ask while looking at him cautiously.

"I'm letting you walk. I'm old and I don't feel like carrying you around on this back of mine so you're going to walk in front of me." He smiles as he removes the ropes and glances up at me.

I narrow my eyes. I'm pretty sure there's nothing wrong with his back, but I don't know why he would lie about that. He stands up and offers me his hand which I take and he lifts me to my feet. I wince as the blood flows back into my legs.

"Of course, don't get any ideas. If you try to bolt, you won't get far." He says as he gives me a serious look.

_I don't doubt it._ I think wryly, but I don't say anything to him. He gestures with his hand towards the rest of the group who are getting pretty far ahead, and I start walking. He falls into step behind me which makes me nervous. I don't like not being able to see him.

The next few hours pass in a blur. I'm exhausted by the pace they move, and, conveniently enough, the hike is uphill most of the way. With the sun getting higher in the sky, the summer heat becomes stifling, and Yuri offers me a water bottle which I take without question. By the time we get to a clearing to stop for lunch I'm ready to collapse. I know it's pathetic, but I've never really been hiking since I was a kid. Once dad disappeared… mom and I just never did that stuff.

I sit as far from the other people as I can and take off my shoes. My feet are starting to develop blisters but I'm not surprised by this. When I left my room the night I got here, I hadn't been wearing shoes so the ones I currently have are brand new. At least I had the sense to get sturdy shoes when Riza and Winry took me shopping and not sandals.

"That doesn't look too good." Yuri is looking at me with a sandwich in either hand.

I look away and try to put my socks back on. I don't want his pity.

"Irina!" He calls over his shoulder.

"What!" She calls back from the group of people sitting a few feet away.

"Bring your first aid kit over here would you?"

"Girly needs it?" She asks.

"Yeah." Yuri responds as he glances at me. "Don't put your socks back on, those need to be taken care of before they get worse." He orders me. I just glare at him as he hands me one of the sandwiches. "Eat this, courtesy of Boris. He's quite the talented house wife. He can make these while we're on the trail." Yuri says with a twinkle in his eye.

"Her ya go Yuri." Irina is standing next to him holding a first aid kit in her outstretched arms. He took it and opened it up before bending over me and grabbing one of my feet.

"I don't know if you know how to do this, but I'm going to make sure it gets done right." He says as he takes out some moleskin. I'm silently grateful for this since I don't know how to take care of blisters. I've never had them before. I studiously look away and take a bite of my sandwich.

"So Blondie," Irina's still here and she draws my attention. "How'd you manage to piss Viktor off? He's gotta be one of the most docile guys I've ever met." She laughs as her hands go to her hips where her whip is hanging. I eye it nervously as she continues to speak. "First you break Robert's nose and give my poor Leo a nasty bruise, and then you piss Viktor off while giving him a good smack to the head! If you weren't a prisoner, I'd take you as an apprentice Amestrian or not!" She grins down at me.

I shift uncomfortably and, without saying anything, look at my right foot which has already been treated. I reach for my shoes, but Irina's hand grabs mine and she shakes her head as she extends a clean pair of socks towards me.

"Don't be putting on those old socks Blondie. You'll get more blisters. It's important to keep dry socks when hiking. Here's an extra pair I keep in my kit so wear them." She says it like an order.

I feel the heat rising to my face as I hide my eyes behind my bangs. These people are taking care of me despite them being enemies… Yeah, it's part of their job to get me to Drachma in one piece, but it still freaks me out. I'll be honest and say I'd almost prefer cruelty. It would make me feel less guilty for getting these people turned in to the military.

I take the socks from her hand and put my shoes back on since Yuri has finished both feet now._ So… should I say thank you or something?_ While I'm debating this, I hear a rustle to my left, and Viktor and Leonid come out of the bushes. I glare at Viktor and he glares back. _No, saying thank you would give these people the wrong impression._ I decide as I watch the two men dust themselves off.

"Leo!" Irina says, and she dances (yes dances) off to wrap her arms around his neck and give him a kiss. "Here's your sandwich." She says as she pulls away, handing him the food. He just grins at her and steals another kiss, this one a lot more… French I guess.

_I wonder what it's called in a world without France?_ I look away from the happy couple and study my new socks. I feel like I'm intruding…

"Viktor, how do things look back there?" Captain Makar walks up to Viktor casually.

"Fine. We didn't see any signs of pursuit, and, as far as I can tell, we're pretty alone out here." Viktor says before taking a bite out of a sandwich Yuri handed him.

"Excellent! We'll just let you guys rest up a bit before moving on. I'd still like you to backtrack for a few more days. Just to play it safe. We snatched the kid right under the nose of the Fullmetal Alchemist and his brother the Eastern Alchemist, and I'd be damned if we got caught by them. So we're changing course and going west a bit before we start to head north." He grins and, taking a deep breath, returns to the others gathered in the middle of the clearing.

I frown and watch him leave. I've heard those titles before, but I'm not entirely sure what they mean. Something to do with being government employees or something along those lines. All I really know for sure is that whenever Mustang called Edward "Fullmetal", he'd vehemently deny all claims to the title and insist he was retired while simultaneously raising a fist and attempting to keep his eye from twitching. I'm pretty sure Mustang did it to goad him, and I honestly can't blame the Fuhrer, it was funny.

"Viktor, we should head out soon. You can eat your sandwich on the way" Leonid says as he glances up from Irina. His hair is disheveled which ruins the sense of purpose he tries to speak with.

Viktor just nods silently and leans against a tree to wait for us to leave. He takes out a knife from nowhere and starts to whittle a stick with a bored expression.

"You ready to leave Miss Charity?" Yuri says and I jump at the interruption.

I look at Yuri, furious with myself for getting caught watching Viktor, and silently nod my head. I ignore his offered hand and get to my feet before stalking off after the other men who have already started walking.

"See you at the campsite Blondie." Irina says as she walks past me to get to the front where I presume she'll be scouting ahead.

This is going to be a long day.

…

"They were here just last night." Mae said as she bent over to inspect the ground.

"How can you be sure?" Al said as he leaned over his wife to look at the dirt she was rubbing between her fingers.

Mae grinned. "Whoever's hiding the trail is pretty good, but there was definitely a campfire here. I'd guess about ten hours ago. It's noon now so that means they were here around two in the morning."

"You never cease to amaze me." Al said as he grinned. Mae smiled back as she stood up.

"We're just lucky the trail didn't wash away in that storm." Ed said as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned against a tree.

"Aunt Mae's awesome like that Dad." Josh said with a grin.

Mae shook her head. "We did lose the trail, I didn't follow that here." She said.

"What do you mean?" Josh asked as his eyes widened in surprise.

"Yeah, what do you mean Mae?" Al said with curiosity.

"Last night, I felt a surge of alchemical energy around this area after the storm only fainter so I followed it and it led us here. It reminded me of…" She broke off and shook her head, frowning as she did.

"What did it remind you of?" Ed asked.

"It was a bit like what I felt when Char… when that explosion happened a few weeks ago. But, at the same time, it wasn't. It also felt a bit… off. Like how Amestris was back in the day…" Mae looked frustrated as she tried to convey her message. She glanced at Josh a few times while she did.

"I didn't sense anything." Al said sounding a bit disappointed.

"You were never able to completely master chi sensing so that's probably why." Mae said as she patted her husband's arm comfortingly.

"I see. We'll talk more in private when we get the chance. Lead on Mae." Ed said as he pushed himself off the tree and started moving forward.

"Of course. It's this way." Mae said as she turned and took off to the north.

Joshua frowned as he followed his family through the underbrush. _What had Aunt Mae been about to say? I'm positive everyone's hiding something, but I can't figure it out. I'll have to ask once we get Charity back._ He looked ahead with determination. _Those Drachmans won't know what hit 'em so stay safe Charity. We still need to have a rematch._

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